MINISTRY

^{ACTS 3:7-8} Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 

The servant of the Lord will have the faith to expect God to do the supernatural thing. So he will confidently, by faith call the lame person to walk. It is also the servant of God who will do what he can with the resources he has to increase the faith of those around him. Sometimes our faith is all that is necessary for God to work on behalf of another. Here Peter took the lame man by the hand and helped him to get up. We also see this in the story of Tabitha.

 ^{LUKE 8:49} While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” ⁵⁰ But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” ⁵¹ And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. ⁵² And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” ⁵³ And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were amazed.

We are God's person on the scene. We are not the manufacturers of the power of God but we are indeed the distributors. Our faith exhibited on behalf of others will give occasion for the power of God to manifest and meet needs on earth. By faith if we point people in need to Jesus he will meet those needs, and ministry will take place.

The definition of Ministry is when God's resources meet human needs through loving channels. warren weirsbe
to the Glory of God

APPLICATION
To be an available vessel of the Power of God to flow to those I find in need and to do so in a loving manner.

Service

⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

Service is of utmost importance to the Lord. It is how we know whether we are indeed in the faith.

^{2 Corinthians 5} Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

^{James 2:17-18} In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

Our walk with God is measured in our service toward others our deeds towards others.
  

^{1 John 4:20-21} Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. ²¹ And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 

^{Jn 15:13} Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

So the evidence of our faith in Christ is the demonstration of our love for one another, and that demonstration is in made manifest in selfless service to one another.

We are to serve as a matter of lifestyle, to cultivate the heart of a servant is an essential element of our walk with Christ.

 APPLICATION

I need to be ready to lay down my life in service toward anyone I find in need as always but today I will have a very quick response in obedience, without hesitation.

 

God's Thing, God's Way

^{1 Corinthians 12:4} There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 

And what are the different kinds of gifts? Well there are the "mystical" gifts like the gift of the Word of Knowledge, or the gift of a heavenly tongue or the gift of healing the sick. Then there are the practical gifts such as the gift of administration or the gift of leadership or the gift of teaching. And then there are the gifts of service such as the gift of giving or the gift of helps. They are each unique and different and their working out in our lives is also unique and different however since they are all distributed by the same Spirit they are to be displayed in such a way as to have the fragrance of Christ. Which is humble, gentle, loving, others centered peaceable, & among other things unifying as the book of James states here...

James 3:17
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

These are the unmistakable earmarks of the presence and authorship of Christ. So then these giftings as they are worked out with these Godly attitudes substantiate the hand print of  God in our lives. It is through these gifts and an attitude like that of Christ that He uses to accomplish His Will on earth as it is in heaven.

APPLICATION
I operate in the gift of discernment and the gift of exhortation. I will find a way to be used by God in these gifts today in the most humble and gentle manner.

THE BODY IS PERFECT

^{Eph. 4:1} As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

There are several callings which I have received. I am first a Christian bearing the name of Christ upon every aspect of my life. I am also a husband, a leader, a teacher and mentor. These are all important roles that are integral to whatever community of believers I find myself blessed to be in.

As Paul wrote these words he was anticipating the further growth of the church which was just beginning to bud at this time. Each of us has a part in the body, that part is our calling. Paul is urging these first century saints to identify the part of the body which they are and to live it out fully.

1 Cor 12:12
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

The body of Christ is complete, He does not make mistakes, He does not form incomplete works. He has created every member of the body to function a certain way. Just the same as the physical body has differing parts with differing functions. For example how useful would a body be if the kidneys or the knees refuse to function, it would affect the overall ability and potential of that body. In the same way for instance with a group of interns, some are called to lead and others are called to administrate or to give. Each of us needs to step up into our calling or the part of the body we are and to do it all out, so as not to hinder the functionality or potential of the body as a whole. This is why Paul is urging this group of believers to step up in this way, the foundation of the Church of Christ was held in the balance of whether these first believers properly fulfilled their functions in the body.

APPLICATION
I need to bear in mind the obligation I have to the body of Christ to walk worthy of the calling I have received.

Not Manufacturers but Distributors

^{Acts 3:9} When all the people saw him walking and praising God

Whenever there is a move of God it will attract attention, and here is where the believer is tested.

Proverbs 27:21
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise.

When we are in the middle of where God is working people will associate us with His power. Our flesh will be tempted to accept some credit for what God has done through us. Let's face it there probably are certain things that we have done that got us to the right place at the right time with the right action or word that made some sort of difference. However we must never lose sight of the fact that it is God who is the author and finisher of our faith and our ministry to others. We are nothing apart from Him. We are merely distributors of the riches of His bounty. Not Manufacturers.
APPLICATION
To walk humbly with God loving mercy and keeping a look out for ways to distribute His Grace to others.

Emotions are Not Reliable

⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Whenever we are touched by God there will always be an emotional response. Our emotions are responders to what is going on in our minds. As this man is physically healed he begins to register that he can walk and will have for the first time a prospect of a normal life he emotionally freaks out with exuberance.  Our emotions directly reflect our thoughts, for example if there is a man who is poor and he needs money to pay the rent, and he has a wife and children who need food and he has been out of work for months and he comes to me and asks for a loan, emotionally he will be sullen and serious. Say I write him a check for $2000. what will his emotional state be as he leaves my office? He will be elated maybe even giddy... because he has in his hand a real solution to a real problem and now his children will have a decent Christmas...etc. Until he gets to the bank and tries to cash that check, when the bank teller explains that the check was not good and could not be cashed, what do you think his emotional state would be? Previously he was elated because he THOUGHT he had $2000. but in reality it was just a piece of worthless paper. So he did not actually have a solution to his problem but his emotions which were real elation and even giddiness responded to something that was false. It is important to understand that our emotions are easily tricked and not reliable to make decisions upon. In the case of this man in the Temple well indeed he was elated and rightfully so because he was touched by God and God does not do things half way.
APPLICATION
I need to remember that my emotions can be manipulated and that they are not reliable to make decisions with. I need to be able to discern the difference between the leading of the Lord and my emotions, those are very different and must be distinguished from one another. 

Loose Grip

^{Acts 3:6} Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

So many times we think we know what we want and pursue one goal or another when God has something else in mind. We need to learn to have a loose grip on our idea of what is the direction for our lives. We cannot demand that we know God's will for our lives, instead we must consider a path, take a step and look up seeking confirmation and peace to take another, then to look up again and again always willing to be guided toward a new or different direction. Sometimes in order for God to get us to a particular place He may want us to meander through a variety of roads and byways to get there because the lessons along the way were essential to us accomplishing what we need to do at the destination. Consider the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years, they could have navigated a straight path and arrived in 2 weeks, but God had a different plan altogether. And besides it is not the destination that is important but the journey where we learn and come in contact with others that shape our lives in Him.
APPLICATION
I need to keep a loose grip on my ideas and be open and willing to be redirected by the Holy Spirit.