Love Fulfilled Ministry

having purified your souls in obedience to the truth to the extent a sincere brotherly love, agape love for one another fervently from a pure heart (1 Peter 1:22) Pure love is a type of love that is unconditional, compassionate, and generous. God is pure and God is love. A sign of being like God is love. Not some causal acquaintance, it should be real or sincere within your church with a fervent love. A pure heart agape loves earnestly or fervent which conveys a since of wholeheartedness or intensity; without slack, strenuously, without undue let up. Love is a sign of a pure heart. and to the extent all of these, agape love which exists that which binds together to maturity (Colossians 3:14) Faith is energized and actionable through love, this is what strengthens the church (Galatians 5:6). Above all the other virtues the greatest is love. "Having put on the new man, that renewed in knowledge according to its creator, as elect of God we should have heartfelt compassion, kindness, ...

 if anyone would be first, he exists last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35) The essence of discipleship is receiving the child of God and serving him. What is the purpose of serving the child? It is the work of ministry as Paul says and why Jesus gives gifts unto men, so to build them up, so they are no longer children, but grow into mature adulthood, the measure of that stature being the fullness of the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:9-14). if anyone would be first, he exists last of all and servant of all and taking a child he put him in the midst of them, whom ever receives one of these children of mine in my name receives me and whoever receives me receives not me but the the one who sent me (Mark 9:35-37) In the kingdom of God if you want to be great you must become last, like Jesus who emptied himself, though existing as God, he did not use such authority to lord over and exercise authority over people but became a servant of all, even to the point of death. His life exists...

do you see, that his faith energized his works and from his works his faith matured (James 2:22) * When James writes faith without works is dead the above is the best way to explain it. It is similar to understanding grace, it doesn't stand alone but produces effects. *  Faith also has effects, as Paul writes when we believe in our hearts something happens inwardly and the effect is the confession from the mouth of that inward change. Faith is also energized by love, which strengthens us. Faith without love is nothing thus Love is an action, a work of faith, so as the scriptures tell us love is a bond that leads to our maturity. Here we see that faith energizes us unto good works and our faith is matured through this kind of work. now, faith exists assurance, hope, persuasion of things not seen. For in it the elders testified of God (Hebrews 11:1-12) Faith exists substance and evidence, and the effect of that is meant to energize us into works. And as we are energized through ...

my words and my message was not delivered in skillful words of wisdom rather in manifestation of Spirit and power so that your faith is not based in wisdom of men rather in power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) In the world it is usually those who speak in strength of men that are considered wise and good leaders. For example, military Generals are not usually small and weak in appearance, but tall, strong, and speak with confidence. In the scriptures Paul addresses this in his letter as people were saying that his letters were strong, deep, and even heavy but his physical appearance was weak and his words were of small account in person (2 Corinthians 10:10). His response was he came to them in physical weakness, knowing only Christ crucified so that their faith would not be based in wisdom of men rather in power of God. for I decided to know nothing among you if not Jesus Christ and him crucified, so I came to you in weakness and awe and reverence... so that their faith would not be b...

 ... the ones called according to purpose, because those he foreknew he predestined to be  conformed together to the image of his Son... (Romans 8:28-30) Those God predestined he calls and justifies and glorifies (Romans 8:31). He chose you before he created the world and prededestined you for adoption as his own. He is making known the mystery of his will to those chosen, predestined according to his purpose which he purposed in Christ. Through the church the mystery of his wisdom, hidden in God before he created all things, is being made known according to the eternal purpose which is accomplished through Christ, whom we have boldness and confident access to God through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 3:9-12). Man  was created in the image of God and in Christ God is restoring the fallen image of man to that of Christ's image. This is the theme and main purpose of the new covenant, also called testament and will. God is restoring us to reflect his divine nature. And because w...

knowledge puffs up but love builds up, if any presumes to know something he doesn't know as he ought to know (1 Corinthians 8:1-2) Have you ever seen a blowfish or pufferfish? I few years back I caught a small blowfish and it "puffed" up in my hands. It was amazing but also a little alarming, which is why they puff up to defend themselves. The Greek word puffs up literally means to inflate by blowing, to puff up. The idea is that knowledge without love puffs up. It is such an important concept to understand if we want to serve Jesus, to build up others. love is long suffering, loving, kind, not envying. Love doesn't brag nor puff up (1 Corinthians 13:4) If we look at the word puffed up as used in the scriptures we see it is a kind of arrogance and pride (1 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 4:18; 1 Corinthians 5:2). It is an earthly way of thinking even if that knowledge comes from scripture (Colossians 2:18). Being puffed up is also a prideful unwillingness to acknowled...

For this is how God loved the world... (John 3:16) This is how God loved the world, he sent his son. God exists agape love (1 John 4:16). And "the Son is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature..." (Hebrews 1:3). God is love and Jesus is the exact radiance of his glory, thus existing love. Because God so loved, love came down. Friends, let us love one another because loves exists from God and all the ones loving are born of God and know God (1 John 4:7).  Loving one another is how we are known as children of God. If we know God and claim to be mature in his character then the representation of God's character would be reflected in us. "The one not loving doesn't know God because God is love" (1 John 4:8). In this the love of God is revealed in us because love came down and we live and love through him (1 John 4:9) In this is love, not because we loved God rather he loved us... (1 John 4:10) He came down to give himself a sacrific...

Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel, for if I do this willing I have a reward, but if not, I am entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? so that preaching I present the gospel free of charge to the extent not making use of my authority in the gospel (1 Corinthians :17-18) In early times stewardship functioned as a job description, denoting the office of a steward, or manager. Such a position came with earthly rewards like a wage. Even the stewardship of the house of God in the old testament came with privileges and earthly wages or provisions. Paul uses this word opposite of that of the old, not making use of its authority like as the old stewardship but as a dispensation in the new which comes with a heavenly reward and new responsibilities. Himself being made a steward to proclaim the mystery of the gospel free of charge. not that we have authority but rather to make ourselves an example to you to imitate. For even when we were with you we gave you this charge, i...

so dear our affection for you we are pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but ourselves also because you became so dear to us (1 Thessalonians 2:8) Paul calls the church the bride of Christ and his goal is to present her in splendor and honor and purity ( Ephesians 5:27 ). Ministers are to be as Christ "just as also Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her that he sanctifies her and cleanses her..." ( Ephesians 5:25 ). This is how Paul gave himself up and shared himself to the church. for you recall brother our labor and toil, working night and day for the benefit of not becoming a burden to any of you, proclaiming to the extent the gospel of God (1 Thessalonians 2:9)  The dear affection given was as a father would give a child, "to exhort and encourage you to conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of God, the one who calls you into his own kingdom and glory" (1 Thessalonians 2:9). It was not Paul's words, it was God's and those who...

for the Lord disciplines who he loves. Now, [he] chastises all who he receives as sons (Hebrews 12:6) Our heavenly Father father disciplines the one he loves, as a father does the son in whom he delights (Proverbs 3:11-12). If you are a child of God you have testimony of adoption as his own, he chose you in love, he pours out his love into your hearts through the Holy Spirit. God chose you in love to be his own, children, and he desires that we share in his divine nature so he disciplines us for this purpose.   ... the one blessing us in all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-8).  We sit in the heavenly places with Christ, we are blessed beyond measure. * God delights in you because he blessed you with favor "to the praise of his glorious grace which he highly favored you in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:3-6). The word Favored (χάρισμα, is from the root word χάρις "charis" (grace) and adds -μα (which denotes effect or result of an ac...