Love Fulfilled Ministry

“ For my name's sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise, I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off.  Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another " (Isaiah 48:9-11) "God does everything for God, for his glory." Look at Jonah who got in a boat and went the opposite direction of where God wanted him to go, but God had chosen him for his name sake. Did Jonah's disobedience get in the way of God's glory? Jonah prayed from the belly of a fish, "... you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.... but I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” (Jonah 2). Jonah is in the belly of a fish and he knows it is God who saved him. David speaks in a similar way, God rescued him from the pit. Why did God do this?...

We now all having been unveiled in face, the glory of the Lord, appearing as in a mirror the same image, are being transformed from glory to glory even as from the Lord, the Spirit . (2 Corinthians 3:18) In the face of Christ is unveiled glory, and we all having been unveiled to see this glory, are being transformed from glory to glory. We have great hope and boldness in Christ because we have looked into the glory of God unveiled, in the face of Jesus Christ. Moses put a veil over his face so the sons of Israel would not gaze to the extent of that fading away rather their minds were closed, even today the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant and only can be removed in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:12-14). For it was God who sent his Son, in the likeness of the radiance of His glory (Hebrews 1:3). Who became flesh, like his brethren, but of the glory like as the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth, who leads many sons to glory (John 1:14; Hebrews 2:10, 17). ...

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand . (Isaiah 64:8, ESV) An old violin touched and tuned by the master's hand can play melodious music. In the same way, when the Master touches and tunes our lives he can then play "a melody pure and sweet as caroling angel sings." * This is what my Master means to me, he is transforming me into a glorious instrument. He is like a master potter who forms the clay, taking our lives of worthlessness and forming it into something valuable, good, and honorable for his use. "Now in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if any themselves cleansed from these [what is dishonorable] he exists a vessel for honor, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:20-21, ESV) I take this to mean the great house is ...

S tay alert, stand in the faith, becoming a man, growing strong, all of you coming into existence in agape love.  (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, my translation) Let us look at each part of this verse, in regards to having the right mindset of growing into mature adulthood, into the full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so we do not grow tired and lose heart. "Stay alert and pray so that you do not enter a trial. The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41)  Stay alert . The time had come for Jesus to drink from the cup the Father had given him, so he went to a place called Gethsemane taking the disciples with him, he asks them to sit and pray, except Peter, James, and John whom he takes further and says to them 'my soul exists exceedingly sorrowful to the point of death, remain here and stay alert with me' (Matthew 26:36-39). When he returned he found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "under such a circumstance you are not st...

" for he must reign until when placed all enemies under that his feet, the last enemy to be destroyed, that death, for all subjected under his feet ..." (1 Corinthians 15:25-27). When Christ rose from the dead, in the power of God, he was placed, seated at the right hand in the heavenlies, far above all leaders, authority, power, and dominion and every name, and God placed all under Christ's feet... (Ephesians 1:20-23). "Now, when this [priest] offered a single sacrifice for sins to the extent that continuous, he was seated in the right hand of God, waiting that furthermore, his enemies are placed a footstool of his feet..." (Hebrews 10:12-13). He must reign until all enemies are placed under his feet, which implies the destruction of his enemies which includes ours, the last enemy to be destroyed being death. "For all subjected under his feet. Now, when saying that 'all subjected' it is clear that does not include the one arranging all under him...

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one according to his great mercy begot us into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, unstained, and unfading kept in heaven for you, that in the power of God, guarded through faith, to the extent of salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-4). God begot us into a living hope, according to His great mercy, through his great love, when we were dead in our trespasses and sin, he made us alive together in Christ, by grace we have been saved, and raised us and seated us in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 2: 4-6). Christ came to give us the authority or right to become children of God, begotten, coming into existence, "born not from blood, nor from fleshly will, nor husbands will, rather from God" (John 1:12-13). We who have placed our hope in Christ exist the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:9-12). Paul prays we would be enlightened ...

like a newborn child desire the milk, sincere, reasonable so that in it you grow up unto salvation... (1 Peter 2:2). The word for "grow up" αὐξάνω ( auxanō ) means to cause to grow or increase. Jesus said do not be anxious but consider the lilies how they grow and consider the mustard seed, small among seeds it grows up larger than all the garden plants and the birds perch in it's branches (Matthew 6:28, Matthew 13:32). The parable of the soils or seed is about growth, when there is good soil the seed grows up to bear fruit (Mark 4:8). The word of the Lord causes growth, "and the word of the Lord caused to grow and the number of disciples increased greatly" (Acts 6:7). Paul writes some plant while others water but it is God that causes growth, "so that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God is the one who gives the growth" (1 Corinthians 3:6). As children of God, we should crave and desire that which would cause us to gr...

"in this rejoice if at present necessary for a little sorrow in various trials so that the proving of your faith (precious more than gold that perishes) having been proved through the fire, now found to the extent praise and glory and honor in the revelation of Jesus Christ... obtaining the goal of your faith; the salvation of your souls"  (1 Peter 1:6-9). Sorrow doesn't seem little at the time, it is only little in comparison to glory. Which happens when God's glory is being revealed in us. Discipline hurts at the time but we are encouraged in it as God disciplines those he loves, calling us sons, so that we share in his holiness (Hebrews 12:5-11). We see the concept in the scriptures that we are saved, being saved, and one day will be saved. *  In our spirit we have been saved and raised up and seated in the heavenlies with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5-6). And we will be saved, the return of Jesus for us as believers is not in reference to sin but unto salvation (Heb...