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Monday, December 14, 2009

Ministering The Gift

1 Pet 4:10 - As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I thought this verse was appropriated considering the season we are in. The King James states "as each one has received the gift". The greatest gift of all is the Gift of Christ. God gave His only begotten son to the world so that the world might be saved. The gift of God saves man from their sin. We are not just forgiven but delivered from Sins nature and power.

As we have received the Gift of Christ we are commanded in this verse to minister it to one another. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving. When we receive Jesus and become His disciple, He keeps filling us with gift. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit that in turn gifts us His gifts such as the nine gifts listed in 1 Cor 12. One of the things I love about Christmas is the excitement that comes with giving and receiving gifts. Shouldn't we as Christians be just as excited everyday to give the Gift of Christ to others.

Minister - to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon.

Every Christian is called to minister. Through tradition ministry has been limited to professional people (Minister). Every one who has received the Gift of Christ has the ability and responsibility to turn around a minister the Gift to others. As each part of Christs body (the members) minister Him and His gifts to others God's manifold grace is spread and experienced by others.

Stewards - a steward, manager, superintendent (whether free-born or as was usually the case, a freed-man or a slave) to whom the head of the house or proprietor has intrusted the management of his affairs, the care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every servant and even to the children not yet of age.

The scripture says it is required in stewardship that one be found faithful. We must be good stewards of the Gift that God has given us. God has given us stewardship over the Gift of His Son. We are called to administer Him to others. May we be found faithful today in doing what God has called us all to do. May we give and experience the true gift of Christmas by giving and receiving Jesus Christ!!!!!!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Those You have Given Me Part 2

Verse 12a - While I was with them in this world, I kept them in Your Name; Those you have given me I have kept - the definition of kept is to attend to carefully, to take care of, to guard. What a picture of what relationships should be all about. We are to watch and keep guard over those God has given to us. The word keep is used many times in Jn 14 and 15 in the context of keeping God's commandments. We are to watch to make sure the people God has given us are keeping His commandments.

Verse 18 - As You have sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Jesus was making disciples that followed and kept all His commands. Just like God the Father sent Jesus into the world to make disciples of those God had given Him, Jesus was sending His disciples into the world to do the same for those God would give them. This pattern is too take place until Jesus comes back.

Verse 20-21 - I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they may be one, as You Father are in Me, and I in you; that they also may be one with Us, that the world may believe that You sent me. - The last portion of the chapter deals with oneness or unity. The greatest thing that's brings unity is sacrificial love. The greatest example of this type of love is found in Jesus life with His disciples and ultimately His death on the cross. Laying down ones life for his or her friends is the greatest act of love. Vs 24 - You loved me before the foundation of the world. The bible says in another place that the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. The world was built on the sacrificial love of God and His Son. Just think about of God would have created the world without the foreknowledge that He would sacrifice His son for the sins of the world. What kind of world would we have today if Jesus wouldn't have died two thousand years ago. All Godly relationships must have as it's foundation sacrificial love. If it's anything else it will fall because the foundation is faulty.

May we all today follow the example of Jesus and give our lives sacrificially for those God has given us.