service

Giving Our All For Him

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

‘And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ‘ Mark 8:34 ESV

If I am learning anything during this Covid-19 crisis it is that service is far more important than position. The young person bringing my groceries out to my car ensures that we have food in the house. The insurance lady working from home takes my call and helps me to order medical supplies. In fact without the people who take away our garbage, mow our lawn and repair our water softeners our own lives would soon become intolerable. Strangely enough because of online worship sessions, we are also learning things about our pastor such as what his living room furniture and golden retriever look like and that he can lead worship with his own guitar. We have also come to a greater appreciation for the many phone calls from our family and have lingered just a little longer each time we get to see our grand kids’ faces on a video call. We are seeing clearly something we have known all along and that is that our lives are not defined by how important people think we are but by how we are loved and how we love in return by simple acts of service.

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Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when He asked us to follow Him. First He called us to serve at a specific place and to certain people. Then He commands us to put those people ahead of ourselves through the ministry that God has called us to do. Finally; He tells us to give our lives just as He gave; no matter the cost and holding nothing because we are giving our all for Him.

The Good You Can Do

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…Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can. John Wesley

In a time when even visiting someone in the hospital or nursing home is now not an option it might be asked, “So what good can I do?” But the little phone call, friendly smile or card in the mail is like the widow’s mite in the eyes of Jesus. It is all we have and He is able to make it enough. Rest in His care and He will help us to show to others the inifinite love of God by the smallest gift of service in all the ways you can!

God’s Construction Project

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Nearly everybody (Including me) is interested in discovering their ministry. We buy books, attend training sessions and try our hand at lots of various opportunities. There is nothing wrong and a lot right with the desire to serve. God is excited to get going with a construction project called reconciliation. He wants us reconciled and He is more than eager to use us to participate in reconciliation in the lives of others. But if we begin by focusing on what we want, what interests us and where we like to serve we are doomed to destruction not construction!

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Notice this verse begins with God. Until everything belongs to Him in our attitudes, in our words and in our actions not much is really going on even if our life is filled with activities. If we go galloping off before surrendering in these areas God has a way of pulling back on our reins and bringing us to a screeching halt. Here is what Jesus says,

…  apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

He doesn’t say “without me you can’t do much.” or “Without me you won’t reach your full potential” It’s like pregnancy. You either are or you are not. Just as the Japanese signed a document of unconditional surrender at the end of WW2, so we must totally yield ourselves to Christ. The good news about reconciliation begins the moment the ink is dry on our commitment of faith. All that we once possessed now belongs to God but all that He possesses belongs to us. God moves in and immediately begins a post war reconstruction project called reconciliation. By having the unlimited resources of God at work in us we discover that place of service to which He has called us in the lives of others.