Ministry Grace
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Beseech is parakaleo which is quite close to paraklete. We know that paraklete or paraclete means
comforter and is another name for the Holy Spirit. Paul is not simply begging people to present
their bodies a living sacrifice but does so for their comfort and
encouragement. In Satan’s world life is
all about pushing the envelope and discovering what you can get away with. I do not personally drink alcohol and while I
know drinking some wine is not a sin, being drunk is. For me the choice is simple. I avoid drinking any alcohol and there is
never any possibility for me to become drunk or even to be the least impaired
by drink.
Paul’s choice of parakaleo here is to beg you to do
something for your own good; not because it is a sin. There are many things you can do to your body
that are not sins and yet they are not good for you. God doesn’t require Christians to eat Kosher
(Jewish Rabbi Approved) food. He forbids
the partaking of blood or blood products in food (which some have - I believe mistakenly
- taken to mean transfusions needed for your health). He forbids food that has been strangled to
death. Not only is it inhumane but it
was often part of pagan religious celebrations.
Paul’s admonitions for gentile Christians listed only four
things to abstain from; things offered to idols, things strangled, blood and
fornication (Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25).
There were 613 Hebrew laws to be obeyed in the Torah. New Christians and Jewish converts were giddy
with the freedoms they enjoyed and unfortunately those freedoms eventually led
to a lack of consecration and diligence towards God’s service. In any group there are legalists who will
split every word and comment to try and define the boundaries of their
freedom. In that same group are those
who try to block every freedom out of fear that the new saints will not have
the diligence and discipline to succeed.
Paul’s attitude toward this dilemma was to suggest that
every saint of God present their bodies as a living and continuing sacrifice
that was holy and therefore acceptable to God.
He considered this to be our ‘reasonable’ service. If your attitude to God is one of willingness
to do all to draw closer then you will not flinch if the pastor calls a fast or
requires you to attend regular Bible Studies.
In these cases your proper first response would be, “Awesome, another
opportunity to draw closer to God.”
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
This word ‘conformed’ means to keep the same patterns in
your life as the world does. Have you
ever met deeply devout Christians and so called ‘rice’ Christians. What a difference! You know what ‘rice’
Christians are, they only come to weddings (where they throw rice) and other
special occasions. They might say, “It
doesn’t take all that to serve God.” If
Paul is begging you to be a living SACRIFICE then he expects you to actually
sacrifice something for the Lord. Your
life ought to portray a difference that is visible to those around you. The pattern of your life should not be that
of the unsaved world.
He continues to say that if we live this sacrificial life we
should be equipped to portray an example of a life that is beneficial, well
pleasing and likely to bring you an accolade from the Father and finally, we
will have become mature and well seasoned in the things of God. At this point you will be in a position to give
an answer when someone comes to you with hard questions.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me,
to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he
ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man
the measure of faith.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride
goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with
the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find
good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.” God has called evangelists, pastors,
teachers, prophets, apostles, helps, governments and works. There are doorkeepers (ushers), deacons and
musicians. Each one of us received a
measure of faith when we accepted Christ into our lives and those measures can
be added to or built upon.
I have known doorkeepers who were faithful, diligent and
satisfied with their position. It is an important
and needed position and yet many consider it beneath them. You might have faith to lead a wife and
children and then again you might have faith to lead thousands as a pastor. Only God and sometimes you, know the measure
God has given to you. Do not press to exit
your calling. 1 Corinthians 7:20 says,
“…abide (live) in the calling you received from God.” If you are called to be a servant, rejoice in
the fact that God called you no matter the place He called you to. Whatever that place IT WAS MADE JUST FOR YOU!
Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and
all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members one of another.
There is never a reason to envy someone’s gifting. Another Christian’s gift is nothing compared
to yours. Your gifts were given to you
by the creator of the universe. He chose
them specifically for you before this world was created. God receives no joy watching you stew over
someone else’s gifts. His joy comes when
you work with Him to discover your specific gifts and exactly how He wants you
to use them. We are a united body in
Christ. You should rejoice just as much
for those around you working in their gifts as you are working in yours and
they you.
Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the
grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the
proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that
teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth,
let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth
mercy, with cheerfulness.
Have you ever asked God, “Lord…what is the grace of my
gifts?” It says in Revelation 1:6 and
5:10 that He has made us kings and priests.
Proverbs 25:2 says it is the glory of God to conceal something but the
honor of kings to search it out and discover it. God is honored when we take time to discover
all the attributes and abilities of our calling. I was struggling in this fast this year. Finances are dwindling and I began to think,
“Who do I think I am to begin a church?
I need to get a job and meet my household needs.”
In addition to these thoughts the fast has been a difficult
trial to both myself and my wife. I have
physical issues I didn’t use to have and they add to the normal
discomfort. All these things and more
were piling up before I finally woke up and used some of the discernment God has
gifted me with. I was UNDER ATTACK! Satan is trying to discourage me and get me
to quit. This wasn’t a normal reaction
to a lack of food. This was demonic
oppression.
Before that realization came God had to nudge me just a
bit. I had been listening to some Chuck
Missler teaching when the data card on my phone stopped working. The only thing left on the phone itself was a
lesson by Apostle Bea and she was teaching about spiritual warfare. I didn’t even listen to the whole thing, just
the part where she said, “When I fight, I don’t fight fair. You don’t have to fight fair when Satan
attacks. You can hide behind God’s
promises and strike out safely against Satan and crush his head.”
I looked into the mirror and said, “Idiot! You’re not fighting!” I was living in a place where the usual cues
of working every day in a church were missing.
Except for my wife, most of the people I come in contact with each day aren’t
walking in faith or if they are they aren’t broadcasting it. We can get to a place in our daily lives
where it doesn’t take much for Satan to nudge us into lethargy. We cease using those miracle gifts God has
given to us. We stop using the powerful
gifts of prayer and faith and begin to be like the dying goldfish that floats
slowly to the surface instead of staying deep where the water is full of life.
Ministry Grace
Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the
Holy Ghost.
The God of HOPE.
Proverbs 13:12 says that hope deferred makes the heart sick but when
your answer comes it is a tree of life.
Romans 5:5 says that hope is NOT ashamed because the Love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Once that happens we KNOW that our answer is coming quickly. Notice Romans 5:5 AND 15:13 both say that the
Holy Spirit, our Comforter, is intimately concerned with and responsible for
fulfilling our hope. He is the comforter
because He knows He is bringing the answer of our hope.
Look at the majesty of that verse! The God of hope…FILL you with ALL joy and
peace in BELIEVING…that you may ABOUND in hope…through the POWER of the Holy
Ghost. He’s not giving you some joy; but
all joy and peace (that same peace that passes understanding) in believing
(supercharged faith). Why? So you may ABOUND (have a super-abundance) in
hope. Hope like that will cause you to
take a step out on FAITH (Hebrews 11:1).
What great power is making that hope possible? The Holy Ghost! His unlimited power is specifically there to
make your hope come to pass. Can you get
ahold of that?
Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my
brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able
also to admonish one another.
I suppose some might say, “But that is just Paul. He was an apostle. We just read about everyone having a
different measure of faith.” Yes he was
and yes he did; but so what? He himself
says in verse 14 that he was persuaded that that goodness and knowledge are
filled to overflowing in your lives too since they come from God to us
all. Because we all are filled with this
special knowledge and assuming we remain humble and gracious, we can in
humility admonish and encourage one another.
I would like to offer you a suggestion. Surround yourself with those who believe in
you and keep your relationships healthy.
One reason I was struggling is that my wife was upset with me. I won’t say anything about that except to say
it was my fault and I have dealt with it, repented and apologized. The point is, my wife is my greatest single
source of encouragement next to my daughter Kristi. She encourages me regularly. Kristi believes that I can do whatever I set
my mind to, especially when God has called me to something. She probably thinks that if I have less than
a thousand members when my church gets going I’m goofing off. That kind of faith in your spiritual life
can’t be purchased. It is more valuable
than rubies and gold.
Between her distance on the other side of the country, and
my wounded wife, my two greatest sources of encouragement were gone. Satan would whisper, “If you can’t even
graciously keep a wife happy what’s wrong with you? How can you lead a church?” God said it’s one thing to be attacked for
doing well but it’s altogether different to be chastened when you messed
up. When you are being attacked and the
attack has elements of truth in it, that attack can be serious indeed. I can only hope that God whispers to her,
“He’s an idiot sometimes but between us we can make something out of him.” That’s my prayer and I’m sticking to it.
For you husbands who say you always treat your wife like the
queen she is; I want to hear it from her and I want to see her bank account to
make sure you didn’t pay her off.
I said all that to say this.
Make sure you are surrounded by encouraging people who believe in
you. Avoid the negative people who seem
to expect you to fail. Pray before every
endeavor. Seek God’s help opening doors
to success and closing avenues of failure.
Pray before every test and every new situation. Make sure your walk is a spiritual one and
the Lord and Spirit of all is in your court.
Romans 15:15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the
more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace
that is given to me of God, 16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to
the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the
Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Remember that Paul was writing to a gentile church. It is interesting that Peter, a backwoods
fisherman of dubious Torah education, was specially anointed to speak to Jews
while Paul, the former Pharisee, was more effective ministering to
gentiles. Had God used them the other
way, they might have patted themselves on the back for their skills. God chose to use them where He would get the
glory for their success. This is the
greatness of the GRACE of God that you have UNDESERVED favor with Him to
accomplish great tasks because you were obedient to Him. Whenever I hear someone tell me that God
would not use them in that manner because that is not where their skills are, I
think, WOW, that’s bold! God doesn’t need
your skills. He needs you to be willing
to develop your ability to walk in HIS.
Lord, thank you for the past few days. They haven’t been fun but they have certainly
been educational. I appreciate you and
trust you to continue this wonderful work in my life until the day of the Lord
Jesus. You are my Rock and my source. I love you Father. In Jesus name. Amen.
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