Embracing Your Ministry

¹ "The spirit of Lord Yahweh is upon me for Yahweh has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to soothe the broken-hearted, ² to proclaim liberty to captives, release to those in prison, to proclaim a year of favour from Yahweh and a day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn."  Isaiah 61:1-2

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Today's Scripture is nothing short of a radical call to ministry for all believers. For what good is it to anyone if you keep the Bible messages you receive to yourself without sharing it with others in practical ways?

 

It is my express belief that all praying Christians, not just ministers, have the uktimate responsibility to embark on daily ministry. No, it need not be a formal ministry, but more of an outreach. Afterall, we have been entrusted by God with faith for a reason... And that is to share it where ever we go to the best of our abilities. Your ministry may simply be a strong committment to treat others with a smile and kindness... Nothing formal, but highly effective none-the-less!

 

By reaching out to others in your daily life, you will likely never know the good you do to soothe another's soul.  Your kind words may have the potential to proclaim liberty to captives of depression, prisoners of days gone by, and relief to those who mourn the loss of a loved one. Truly, a ministry of kindness and a warm smile can soothe the broken hearted; and lending a caring, listening ear to another in need is always welcomed, and truly deemed blessed in the eyes of God!

 

                                                      Adele M. Gill 2013 Copyright

                                                    www.theinspirationcafeblog.blogspot.com

 

 

'Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' Isaiah 41:10
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Today's Scripture is one of my signature life passages as it calms me and brings me great peace even through times of infirmity. I have in the past experienced times of great fear and turbulence-even crisis--as I struggled to deal with myasthenic syndrome. However, growing in faith, I have come to see the situation in a whole new way.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, exacerbations of this disease are no longer deemed crisis, as I place it all at the foot of the cross. Like a hurricane that has been downgraded to a tropical storm, these challenging times are now viewed as a serious annoyance as my speech is garbled, mobility is slowed, and breathing is difficult. And the benefits of this new perspective are huge!

Even as I am here at the hospital today, I have a heart of gratitude rather than fear. I feel blest to have a treatment that returns me to remission, and God's praise is the goal of my day. No more fear. No more dismay...

For I am confident, even after 30 years of living with this challenging condition, that God is in control, and I will be healed one day in His special time and way! Fear only serves as a distraction to take my eyes and heart away from Jesus, The Great Healer and Comforter of my soul...

Adele M. Gill 2013 Copyright













I

Forgiveness and Love

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I Corinthians 13:1-7
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At first glance, today's reading is about love. But when you read behind the lines, it is as much about forgiveness as it is about love. For love and forgiveness are so closely woven together, you cannot have one without the other! And there is more. The Bible tells us that there is good reason to forgive, as God forgives us as we forgive others. Do you want God's forgiveness in your life? Then you must find a way to forgive others!

In our humanness, we are virtually incapable of forgiving everyone we need to, but we are compelled to try as we strive to follow Jesus' mandate to love one another. Truth is that sometimes we feel that people hurt our feelings, anger us, frustrate us, overwhelm us. The list goes on and on. But we must forgive them anyway. They may yell at you, avoid you, abandon you, slander you, steal from you, and/or hurt you in a myriad of ways...But you still must forgive them.

I know my own limits for forgiveness, and there are times when I need God's help to heal and forgive. And He has never disappointed me when I ask for His help.

So go on... Is there someone you have yet to forgive? Do it now, with God's help, without delay and then step back watch the blessings flow!