Love Fulfilled Ministry

" with goodwill serve as to the Lord and not to men ," 1 We often here the phrase serve as to the Lord but notice it says, " with goodwill serve " as to the Lord. There is a difference, one says that the goodwill is the end point of serving, i.e. its all about reaching the lost or serving the needy. The other says you serve with goodwill. In one thinking, a servants heart is reflected in being able to take mistreatment as one serves for the end result and if one gets hurt in the process it is a sacrifice for the benefit of the end result. Such sounds good. The other says you are accountable for how you serve. This word for goodwill is eunoia , good-will, kindness (from eu , "well" and noeó , " I understand, consider "   properly to be well- minded, i.e. reconcile . Goodwill is a mindset of goodwill, reconciliation, as we serve, which encompasses everyone, not just the end result. The word for goodwill is derived from nou s, " reasoning...

" Indeed, if united we have become in the likeness of the death of Him, on the other hand also of the Resurrection we will be ." 1 This word for united is derived (from sun , "with" and phuó , "I grow") properly grown together, united with. Growing together implies a continued process of abiding. We have become united in the likeness of His death, we participate with Him in his sufferings, we grow with Him in the likeness of His death. This word for likeness is homoióma, "resemblance," a resemblance of His death. Jesus came in "the likeness of man..." 2  Jesus emptied  himself (made void, valueless) in the likeness of man having been made and in appearance having been found (he learned) as a man, he humbled himself, having become (signifies a change of condition, state or place) obedient unto death, death on the cross. 3  He valued us so that we might be made of value. " Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm...

" See what Great Love the Father has given to us, that children of God we should be called and are, through this the world knows us not, because it knows Him not ." 1 God pours out His Great Love on us, it is agapé love, His benevolence, good will... it is His Grace, unmerited favor, which He lavishes upon us. Such love we receive from the Father, a Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father! and whereby we are sealed as a guarantee of the inheritance, oh, what Great Love he has bestowed upon us that we should be called His children. Agape love compels. "Indeed,  the love of Christ compels us, having concluded this that One for all has died therefore all have died, and for all he died, that those living no longer to themselves should live but to the one for them having died and having raised again." 2   It is love that motivates one to follow Christ. By such great love one lays down their life for Christ. Christ came to reconcile. He came not to condemn t...

" Indeed, certain men came in stealthily, those long ago having been designated unto this condemnation, the ungodly. Of the God of us, Grace changing into sensuality and the only Master and Lord of us Jesus Christ denying ."1 Notice some translations say they pervert grace or teach grace as a license to sin, but lets look at the Greek. " Grace changing into sensuality ," this word for change (from  meta ," with " and  tithemi , " put, place, establish ") to transfer, by implication exchange. They exchange truth for a lie. This word for sensuality is  aselgēs , "brutal" – properly, violent spite which rejects restraint and indulges in lawless insolence; lewdness. These are false teachers who have stealthily entered into the church, "Grace changing into sensuality and the only Master and Lord of us Jesus Christ denying." " And they struck His head with a reed and spat on Him and changing the knees to kneel down to Him ...

" Indeed, I know that nothing there dwells in me, that is of the flesh of me is good, indeed, the will is present with me, but I find not how to work out the good " 1 This is a powerful verse, so lets look deeper into this will. Is it my will or His will, or both? And what does Paul mean when he says the will is present. This word for will is theló , " to desire, wish," it is the good pleasure of His will to birth His persuasion (faith) in us.  God wants by the good pleasure of His will to show His goodness towards us. It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance, and the purpose of Grace, for us to work out His will. 2 God works in us His will, we are persuaded that His will is perfect, good, and acceptable. Did you know water covered the planet and the Spirit of God roamed the waters before there was light? Water is essential to life. The One who was in the beginning with God, the Word of God, who was with God and was God, who created all things i...

" Therefore stand having girded the loins of you with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace ." 1 We are in a battle not against flesh and blood but against the ruler, against authorities, against cosmic powers of darkness, against spiritual forces of evil, in the heavenly realms. 2 If one thinks we are not warriors then maybe they haven't entered the battle fully, it is important that we do not fight as the world does. We are to "take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand." 3 " Stand having girded the loins of you with truth ..." This word for gird means to gird all around, i.e. to fasten on one's belt (literally or figuratively.) Have you ever seen someone pull up their belt, maybe before giving a speech or before an interview? this is the idea of girding, kn...

Jesus said to His disciples, " gather together the fragments that remain so that nothing is lost ." 1 Jesus had just performed a miracle of feeding many thousands from a few loaves of bread and two fish, and He asks the disciples to gather up the left overs. As I heard on Sunday He did this as a reminder to the disciples of this great miracle. Jesus would later say on several occasions, referring to people, that none would be lost, they too would be gathered up unto eternal life. Eternal life is in the Son, Jesus the Bread from Heaven, and He proclaims to be the only Way to the Father. If they would eat this bread they would be raised up on the last day. Jesus performed many signs and many rejected Him. Jesus said those truly of the Father would come to Him. These would be a people called out by God, to be consecrated, of the Father. He told them they must labor for food that does not perish. After seeing many signs the people still ask Jesus what sign He would ...

" My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish ?"...  I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me ." 1 As David experienced so the Son of God experienced and it is because of such that He has become our eternal High Priest, sympathizing with our weakness. Paul writes  three times beaten, once stoned and left for dead, three times shipwrecked, through many journeys and many grave dangers... often without sleep and food, cold and exposed... through it all he learned to trust in Him, that His Grace is sufficient. Likewise the seed must at first die to produce fruit, it is a principle of the kingdom. We are baptized into His death, entombed, and united with Him in death so that we are raised with Him in life, to produce fruit. Bypass the death and there can be no fruit. It is through weakness that His power is perfected in us, perfected in love...

" Indeed, you were once darkness, however, now you are light in the Lord, as children of light walk, " 1 Discerning what is well pleasing to the Lord is one we must all do, it is often hidden in traditions and doctrines of men and can be difficult at times but such we must pursue. This varied experience in different ministries has brought forth my own discerning of values or standards. In business these are often called Core Values, which are defined as guiding principles that dictate behavior and action. I have come  to develop these for ministry, the Bible speaks to what they are. They are called fruit; " the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Discern what is well pleasing to the Lord ." 3   A standard is a system in which value is placed on its highest values. Gold was the standard of monetary value for a long time. For Christianity the Gold Standard is called the Golden Rule. This is summed up in what Jesus said, ...

" Indeed, when Gentiles not the Law having by nature, the things of the Law practice, these the Law not having to themselves are a law, who show the work of the law written in the hearts of them ..." 1 Whether one believes that we are released from the Law under the new covenant or not, such seems to be irrelevant to the Gentile, who was never under the Law to begin with. Paul writes that the Law by nature is not of the Gentiles. Of course this makes sense as the people "called out" by God under the old covenant was the Jew, and yes, there were proselytes. The Law was given to the Jew, and the sign of the covenant being the circumcision of the flesh. Jesus brought justification and life to all men. " Therefore, just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men ." By an act of righteousness of one man, Jesus, justification and life was brought to all men. Therefore, ...