Love & Grace--the Ministry Engine

Ministry for God, as witnesses to Jesus is the work that gets the gospel of salvation to the lost. Without love it is impossible. Love is the manifestation that you are of God

"Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophecy" 14:1.

"Pursue love" Jesus said that everyone will know who Christians are because we love each other with the love with which He loves us (John13- 17). Love is the foundation fruit of the Holy Spirit (Mark 12:29-31, Galatians 5).

Desire spiritual gifts" The word 'gifts' is added in the English to help convey what is meant, but the original language says 'desire the Spiritual'. Desire to be filled with the love of God and the power of God to be a witness to the work of Jesus through the cross (Act 1:8) Everything that the Holy Spirit does points to Jesus and the Father, (John 13-17)

So, desire to be the instrument that reveals Jesus and the Father to the world seeking the true and living God. That takes letting the Holy Spirit indwell and fill you. And that is amazing!

'especially that you may prophecy' Paul, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, added this clause with the conjunction 'But' (However, Also, To be sure). It is this kind of speaking witness to Jesus that is the capstone to the work given to born again Christians. For a Christian to correctly speak from and teach from the Bible is how the lost receive the truth of God, (Hebrews 1:1, Romans 10:8-15, 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17)

We serve an amazing God!

Grace is the foundation of all God's works. Without grace we could never be connected to God. It is His grace that supplies the love and life through Jesus Christ.

God's grace is the fuel for all works in Jesus' name.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. For it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever." Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything f...or all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11.

If God gives you a ministry and you put all your heart into it and make your sacrifice and offering to God for the ministry to save the lost, God takes all that you give, whatever that is, and multiplies it in ways you cannot imagine.

He uses whatever it is you give, whether material, time, or monetary, for His glory and the purpose of saving the lost. And because you can see His grace abounding for all through your love and service to God and people in need, your thanksgivings will multiply and your praise will be sweet.

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Do You Weep For Them?

Jeremiah's love for God was so extreme, so vocal, so visible, and so was his love for his people and Jerusalem, the beloved city. He is known as the weeping prophet so hard did he love.

And for all his preaching, and proclaiming God's word, the majority of people failed in returning to God and being saved.

Jeremiah held nothing back from them. The truth was before them and in their ears every time they saw the prophet or heard him preach. They refused to hear the truth.

Do you have people you weep over because you've been telling them about God and His desire to save them, yet they continue to rebel against God?

Don't give up on them. God wants them saved and He will draw people to Himself through our faith and obedience to pray and trust.

Our love for God is our motivation to keep telling the people we love that we want them saved and with us forever in eternity.

Love suffers long, and is kind;

Love does not envy;

Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" 2 Peter 3:9

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Preach the Word, In Season & Out of Season

My Husband is in Hospice care, but thankfully he's still at home with me. His in-home care workers come 6 days a week to help me take care of him.

I had prayed some months ago that God would use our house as a place for the gospel to be told to people who come to visit. Specifically that my kitchen would be used for His glory and to somehow save the souls of some people who God would have me talk to.

God is SOOOOOO good! It is amazing how He answers prayers. While the need of my husband is sad, it seems to be the way God is using this time as the answer to my prayer. People are coming into our house where we can present Jesus' free salvation to them.

I had been still praying for that to happen, today God showed me He was willing to grant me the ability. Today, during the time my Husband and I share the Bible and prayer in the morning, I prayed for the salvation of the worker, and that God would help us/me be some way used today to introduce the woman to Jesus.

All of Husband's helpers know we are Christians, as they have all seen us pray together and read our Bibles.

I didn't want to speak during the woman's working time, as that means she would have to listen even if she didn't want to. But after I signed her voucher sheet at the end of her time, she began speaking about seeing angels and an experience she had while visiting a relatives' grave. She thought a dead relative had reached out to her from the grave when something unusual happened while at the grave side.

That was my opening! And she didn't have any more clients today so she stayed another 20 minutes.

After talking a bit about angels, I ended up at the passage of Luke 16 and Jesus' explaining about Lazarus and the Rich Man and how in the Afterlife, there's a gulf between the two eternal places, paradise and hell.
Jesus shows Lazarus is comforted and at peace, without worry, having trusted in God, while the rich man who trusted in his riches was in torment.
And the finality of Jesus' words that 'even if a man comes back from the dead, those who hear him will not believe.' But they have Moses and the prophets to learn from.

I explained as I understood it, that the dead do not have access to the living, nor does Paradise have access to Hell. The opposite is true that Hell has no access to Heaven.

And, although she refused to take an offered Bible tract, she said I had given her much to think about. And I know the Holy Spirit will use the Word to speak to her.

God says, "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and shall proper in the thing for which I sent it" Isaiah 55:10,11.

The Word of God is how people hear the gospel. Jesus says so.

"For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17.

(Jesus prayed to the Father) "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. John 17:17.

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edge sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" Hebrews 5:12.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" 2 Timothy 3:16,17.

GOD IS SO GOOD!

AMAZING GRACE!

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Insult My Sacrifice To God

Leviticus Chapter 22 has an interesting list of people God says can and can't eat the holy and most holy offerings.

"And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they do not profane My holy name by what they dedicate to Me: I am the LORD'" 22:1,2.

The church should be careful to maintain holiness to God as we share meals with unbelievers. Our contributions should be realized as holy offerings to the Lord our God. Taking donations from the unsaved should be forbidden so as not to profane God's holiness in their eyes.

Though the Hebrew Law isn't an integral part of what the church follows, we do know the need for keeping Jesus' Name and Person holy. And in light of some practices where unbelievers are invited to share meals in a church building, I think we need to be a bit stronger in showing holiness of Jesus' Name and Personage to unbelievers today. (I am not promoting legalism)

I say this in regards to the practice of many church's 'public suppers' where a donation is taken or a fee is charged. The unsaved have no concept of God's holiness, His Sovereignty, or that He doesn't need anyone's money.

If a congregation cannot afford the offering of a meal for God's glory then they shouldn't be having 'public suppers' and making the unsaved pay for it.

No money should be taken from the unsaved person who comes to share the meal, and their attempted donations should be refused,  so as to let God show Himself mighty in the congregation and among the lost.

You can't keep people from trying to pay for their salvation on a Sunday, or anytime you pass an offering basket. To help alleviate this problem, it should be remarked upon as the offering is taken. But if a person goes away offended because a church wouldn't take their money at a Free Supper, AMEN & so much the more glory to God!

There are far too many 'churches' that get their support by selling suppers. For me. if a church refuses to accept money for any meals served where the general public is invited and gets a reputation of being the only church that doesn't take money, then they've set a precedent for the other Bible-based churches to follow.

They've become witnesses to the unsaved public, and other believers, that they know their God can supply all our needs according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:17-20)

Too many unsaved people have too many opportunities to try to buy their way into heaven through churches that accept any and all donations.

And on the particular night when inviting the general public to a supper and a believer tries to donate, I would turn down their money also. Just to set the example and not give any area of confusion as to the offering we are making to our God.

I mean, a believer has any number of opportunities to give. If we have the meal planned and enough of everything, then donations are superfluous at that time. It's like they're telling me, "You can't afford to give this much to God, so take this money and replenish your out of pocket expense." I would consider their money an insult to my faith in God. And a further insult to my sacrificial offering to my God.

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The Two-Fold Purpose of God Moving Dynamic Workers

The Antioch church was growing and service was abundant, then God says, "Okay, now those who are doing the majority of the work, I want them to go where I send them, to further My work somewhere else."

"Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away." Acts 13:1-3.

Most churches would hate having their hardest workers leave. Even to disagreeing with God. "After all, God, their ministry is extremely vital! They can't leave, who will do the work!"

Kinda selfish isn't it? And also terribly restricting. It could be God wants to raise up someone else to do another work in that church, It may be these dynamic people leave no room for the new workers, or even a new work. Someone of importance might have to step down, or step away, from their ministry so another person may serve God. Hmmm?

No one would go to the mission field if dynamic workers didn't go. Even if that mission field is another church body, God can bless those who go, the church they leave, and the church they join for their obedience.

If Barnabas and Saul had stayed, would their work have continued to flourish or would it have stagnated and died over time? If they had said, "No, Lord, we are too busy here, we don't want to go," would God have continued to enjoy their service to Him in that place?

What do you think? Can God have a two-fold purpose for moving people out of a flourishing ministry?

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The Wordless Bible--Effective Simple Gospel Message

The Wordless Bible, or The Color Bible--a very simple explanation of the regeneration from unsaved sinner to rewarded saint. This is one of the ways the salvation message is told to young children. Many a youth group have learned this evangelistic method of the gospel. Simple but effective!

BLACK=SIN

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

RED=THE BLOOD OF JESUS

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.

John 3:16

WHITE=FORGIVNESS

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

GREEN=GROWING

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Philippians 3:19

 

GOLD=ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD

FOR ALL ETERNITY

He who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:7

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Anger and the Lost

"Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord,we persuade men" 

2 Corinthians 5: 11.

Ever get angry that your ministry is so hard? Ever feel like everything is working against you getting the gospel out? Ever feel like a total failure because it appears you're stumbling around and not gaining anything?

Anger is a first response.

• Why God? 
• If I'm doing this for you, why isn't it working? 
• What is all this trouble I'm having? 
• Why am I getting stonewalled?

I don't have any good answer, yet I know the enemy is angry at me for working for God to save the lost forever and ever.

Even in the face of troubles and hardships, I know what will happen to the lost for all eternity if they never accept God's salvation. So I strive through the struggles to get the gospel to the lost despite the enemy.

God wants all saved, so He will move to get them to hear the gospel. I am an instrument for that work. It's called work, service, serving, waiting, doing, walking. All these words are verbs, they mean you are going against stagnation, inertia, stickiness, friction, or deadness.

Though God's wrath is against His enemies and the sin of mankind, God is love, not anger.

It may not be easy. We may never see the fruit of our labor in this life but serve Him anyway.

We serve The Awesome, Almighty God

Prayer--The Simple Ministry

Pray without ceasing 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 

If you're a born again Christian, you are in ministry for God

 

‘We love Him because He first loved us.’ 1 John 4:19. God loves our service. With it, we return blessings to Him. He says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14: 15. How simple a love. Because love motivates the desire to serve, we ask God, “What can I do for You today? How may I bless You since You’ve blessed me.”

Do you feel as if you cannot be in ministry--put it out of your mind! Going into your room to pray, in the privacy of your own home can get you involved in every ministry in your church. prayer is vital to every ministry in God's church. The Gospels record Jesus frequently praying. Paul mentions prayers in all his letters and especially the need for prayer. Matthew 17: 14-21 records Jesus as saying prayer is important to get certain Spiritual work done because we are humanly unable and must seek God in faith.

You should have no excuse for shirking service, for prayer is the easiest form of ministry we can give to God while serving everyone else in the world. For example, Paul when writing from prison, had long prayer lists. In between visits from friends, probably with nothing else to do for hours, Paul took many of his people before Jesus in prayer. His knew it to be a necessary service for them and to God.

Check out your church and see what is going on and try these to start your own prayer ministry.

• Jot down a list of the outreaches your church supplies
• Jot down a list of names of the ill and/or in the hospital
• Jot down a list individuals, especially first time visitors, guests, and the unsaved
• Pray for the children: infants to teens
• Pray for the leadership
• Pray for the janitor and all the behind the scenes workers
• Check out this PDF file Ten Things to Pray for Others 

Prayer is an action service  

 

Do not confuse the prayer as any power you have attained. Remember it’s not the prayer we believe in, but who we pray to that is the basis of our faith. Prayer is a simple act of faith toward God and a way to serve. 

Ministry is not a duty but a willing service to God. Prayer is one way we all can serve God and it’s a ministry we can be involved in, anywhere. anytime.

Hosting Parties is Biblical

"...Prepare a guest room for me, for I trust, 

through your prayers I shall be granted to you" 

Philemon 22

Even before Mother gave the responsibility to me in my early twenties, I had hosted many of the holiday cooking at her house and sometimes at my sibling’s houses. Since I liked it so much, Mother finally gave the family holidays to me.

Today, my home is a large farmhouse, built in the 1820s. It’s nice but it needs much help. It has odd smells, stains, and is very static in the arrangement of furniture. While many people have visited, entertaining has limits.

In the winter, with the woodstove cranking out the heat, guests are elbow to elbow on the opposite side of the room, far enough so as not to be charred. To watch the sports on the television causes a major shift and someone inevitably, from the next room, looks through or over the semi-circle of the fortunate facing the screen. In the summer, the decay of the fallen down barn invades through the open windows.

 

Without a proper dining room, it takes imaginative rearranging. To accommodate more than six, a sheet of plywood lays atop my table. This means shifting the refrigerator against the cupboards by the kitchen sink, thus rendering four useless and causing a shortened counter top. While the stove is in use, no one can sit on that side of the table until all the cooking is complete.

 For all of this, hosting is wonderful and I would do it more often.

My hosting imagination has designed a specific Dream House. It has the normal master bedroom with full bath, kitchen, guestroom, home office, and household bath with washer and dryer.

However, my fantasy has yards of floor space, set with easily rearranged furniture. To accommodate crowds, there’s a custom kitchen with at least two ovens, a six-burner range, a grill, separate freezer and refrigerator, an island with food-prep sink, and long reaches of counter space. There’s casual serving dining bar with stools but the capstone is comfortable dinner seating for a dozen with addition to serve more. To have such a venue sounds wonderful.

I love cooking. I love hosting. I love the gathering of all the hundreds of paraphernalia my guests may never notice. I like searching for new and exciting recipes. I love giving gifts and trinkets. I love the table settings and centerpieces. I love doing the little things and arranging the surprises.

Hospitality, and kind, friendly behavior 

should be a trait highly visible in Christians

My largest entertaining accomplishment to date is organizing a Harvest/Hunter’s Supper at my home church. While I didn’t do all the cooking or necessary gathering, I was the go-to person. Even so, credit goes to our small congregations’ involvement and the praise was all to God’s blessing the event.

"It was awesome!"

The turnout was fantastic and we fed almost hundred people, many who had never been in a church before. I couldn’t stop praising God.

Another ministry opportunity came as my Husband and I hosted a Thanksgiving Day meal at our church for the people in our congregation who had no place to go. That was very satisfying knowing they weren’t sitting alone on this day of giving of Thanks.

Anyone who enjoys cooking enjoys watching their guests eat what they’ve prepared. When the only sound is rattling silverware, you know you succeeded. Like when a stranger buys one of my paintings without ever meeting me. My work has spoken for itself and my presence is unnecessary for their approval.

“(be) hospitable, a lover of what is good, 

sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled” Titus 1:8

My Dream House is an inviting place where people want to be. It is open to Missionaries, pastors and their wives, and other traveling guests. I imagine holidays, ceremonies, Bible study groups, children’s Bible groups. Best of all, I imagine inviting unsaved people for good food and fun. In my open home, I’d introduce them to my Jesus and His free salvation. I would tell them of heaven and its awesome splendor that outshines my temporary house on earth.

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” 

Colossians 3:2

Looking to Heaven and describing my Dream House? It’s a slimy, water-slogged, decaying, moldy mud hut compared to my Heavenly Father’s house.

"But while I’m on earth, I would like to host parties, 

especially where Christ is always welcome

 and gets to meet with people at my table"

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, 

sweetness to the soul and health to the bones"

Proverbs 16:24

Was Saul Riding a Horse in Acts 9?

"Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Acts 9: 4

Was Saul riding a horse on his journey to Damascus?

Who cares!

I have heard many sermons and teachings from this passage and many will mention Saul falling from his horse. I'm a horse person and upon hearing this added fact has always taken me from the subject of Saul's conversion to thinking about the horse.

What was the animal's reaction when the power of Jesus hit Saul and his companions? Experiences with horses says that anything that frightens a human will also likely frighten the animal. Was Saul the only one riding a horse? What of his companion's animal's? Where did the horses go after their riders fell off them? Were they trained to stand ground-tied on the spot or did they run for safety? Did they get their mounts back to continue on to the city?

Okay, maybe I'm being factitious here, but I am intrigued by the fact God doesn't mention anything about how Saul traveled, yet many sermons will mention the unmentioned equines.

Who cares!

The conversion of Saul is a beautiful story and Paul, as he became known, was able to tell his salvation testimony to the rulers of his day. He must have told that tale hundreds of times, to many people he met, though God records him speaking it to men of power and prestige, (Acts 22). God is the focal point of Paul's speeches and he gives God all the credit for his salvation, even when it was life-threatening.

The manner of how Paul reached Damascus is not the purpose of the verse saying he fell to the ground. It is the awesomeness of the Holy God not destroying one so evil as Saul of Tarsus, but saving this man and using him for such mighty works for the name of Jesus. 

Immediately, he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God" Acts 9:20

Riding or walking, we should be able to say to anyone I am glad to testify to you today of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and all He's done for me. (cf Acts 26)

The way you come doesn't matter, just come to Jesus.

It Won't Die

 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God 

unto salvation for everyone who believes" Romans 1:16a.

When my husband was farming, equipment cluttered our lawn. Mowing was an obstacle course around tractors, balers, mower/conditioner, spreader, forage wagons, trucks, automobiles, parts, and tires. If the equipment stayed there very long, or leaked fluids, (frequently), it killed the grass, leaving brown patches or plain dirt.

I would grumble about the ugliness and think, it'll never grow again, but I came to learn the green grass would always return. The diesel oil, engine oil, hydrolic oil, and grease never damaged the ground to where the grass wouldn't reclaim it. In fact, our lawn is now twice as large as it was when we were farming. No equipment parked every-which-way, the grass has reclaimed the ground where once was packed dirt.

The sinner's heart is like that bare ground.

When the soil of the soul is dead because of vileness, or something heavy covering it, blocking out the light, you may think it'll never be alive again. What's the use of telling this person about my Jesus, they won't listen.

Stop and reconsider.

You may think talking about Jesus with a hardened Atheist, or blasphemous mouthed person would be a waste of time. I want you to change your mind. Tell them about Jesus. Tell them about your faith. Give them Bible verses. The vilest sinner can be brought to life by the love of God and the power to salvation. Just like light and nutrients can regrow the dead, brown grass, the right nourishment of Jesus' love and light can bring life to that dead, black heart.

Jesus can bring in His light and His cleansing, healing power to establish life in the dead soul of anyone. Their heart can be flourishing and vibrant for all to admire and praise Him for it's vitality.

Like the slow process of the grass reclaiming the damaged ground, through your love of God and faith in Him, with patient testimony, maybe they won't die but come to salvation.

"For when we were still without strength, in due time 

Christ died for the ungodly" Romans 5:6.

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Pictures of the lawn during 

and after farming

Airplane shot courtesy of Brenda Seekins

 

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A born again Christian since 1985, Susan Estes lives with her husband Ivan, in Palmyra, Maine. Her service for God includes teaching Sunday School, hosting a Ladies home Bible study, and Guest Speaker. Publishing credits include several blogs, short stories, and magazine articles. Susan is a former newspaper journalist and columnist.

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