And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs (Mark 16:20).
I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father (John 14:12).
I believe that God is doing something new and fresh in the church as a whole today. He is seeking to move every Christian out of their comfortable spot and into the front lines of ministry to the individuals around us everyday.
I believe that God’s emphasis today is to empower us as individuals to go out into our world of job, school, social activities and the normal routines of life and be used by Him to minister to those we come in contact with!
Those that do not have a relationship with God are in a quandary of doubt and fear as they see the world as a whole escalating out of control with no answers to the huge problems we all face. Jesus is the hope of the world, and the light of the world. And faith in God’s promises and in His love can ready and prepare all of us for the days ahead. Simply put, we have a lot of hope to share! But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).
The emphasis is now on the ordinary believer to go and do the work of ministering life to those we come in contact with! In the past the emphasis in some groups has been on the anointed man or woman of God. God wants us to broaden our thinking. Every believer is anointed with a gifting that God wants to use them to bless others! God will answer believing prayer, regardless of who prays that prayer!
Let’s begin now to see every single day as an opportunity for God to receive glory in the way we live on the job, in the home, at school, in our social and leisure activities. Let’s begin to see every person we meet the way God would see them, as a person made in His image created to give him glory. Let’s look through the outer package as see the real person with hurts, pain, insecurity, in need of a loving Savior.
Let’s begin now to ask God every day to make us a blessing to others. When I came to the Lord over forty years ago, Kenneth Hagin was one of my spiritual mentors. I read his books and listened to his messages voraciously. One thing he mentioned struck a note in me. He said that many Christians pray and ask God to bless them. He said that we don’t need to pray for things that God has already given us. We are already blessed according to Ephesians 1:3: All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Instead of praying to be blessed, Kenneth Hagin said we should rather pray that God would make us a blessing to others every day. That challenged me and changed my thinking. Then God gave me a scripture in Isaiah that really changed my focus. Isaiah 50:4 reads: The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.
Let’s go about our affairs today and every day from now on, asking God to use us to minister life to others. Our obedience to speak words of life and encouragement may make the difference between heaven and hell, success and failure, sickness or health, marriage or divorce in the people we contact today. Let’s choose to be a blessing. Let’s be ready for God to use us to minister life to others!
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