The 7 Ministries – the ministry of prophesying
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of prophesying
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that
is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion
of faith Romans 12:6
They ministry of prophesying operates according to the
proportion of faith because Paul said “ whether prophecy, let us prophesy
according to the proportion of faith”.
The word proportion – is the Greek transliteration analogia
and it is no where else used in the New Testament. The word properly applies to
mathematics, and means the ratio or proportion which results from comparison of
one number or magnitude with another.
In a large sense, therefore, as applied to other
subjects, it denotes the measure of any thing. With us it means analogy, or the
congruity or resemblance discovered between one thing and another, as we say
there is an analogy or resemblance between the truths taught by reason and
revelation. But this is not its meaning here.
It means the measure, the amount of faith bestowed on the
one in this ministry, for he was exhorting them according to Romans 12:3, which
say; “Think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith.”
The word “faith” here means evidently, not the truths of
the Bible revealed elsewhere; nor their confidence in God; nor their personal
piety; but the extraordinary endowment bestowed on them by the ministry of
prophesying.
Prayer Points
Give glory to God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of prophesying and
its operation. Ask God for the strength to always act on His word. Pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to teach you and give you understanding into Romans 12.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of prophesying
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that
is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion
of faith Romans 12:6
That means prophesying by the one in this ministry
differs from one person to another because the faith level of believers are not
the same. This shows the uniqueness of each minister in the ministry of
prophesying.
When you look at the prophetic ministry today it
repetition of what others are doing. Although each is suppose to be unique from
others to show the beauty of our God and
how He does His things but it is the same.
Most of the young ministers in the prophetic ministry
copies the ways and the acts of those they see as senior prophets. I’m not
saying that it wrong but all that I’m saying is that we shouldn’t just copy blindly
but rather we should allow ourselves for the Spirit of God to bring out that
unique touch in our various ministries.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Give glory to God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of prophesying and
its operation. Ask God for the strength to always act on His word. Pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to teach you and give you understanding into Romans 12.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of prophesying
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that
is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion
of faith Romans 12:6
As we learnt earlier on, the ministry of prophesying
operates according to the proportion of faith. This means that the ministry of
prophesying can be developed.
This development is the depends of the growth and
maturity of the person who walks in this ministry. That is to say as the
believer grows or mature in the faith the ministry of prophesying also develops
further.
It indicates that the ministry of prophesying is directly
linked with a person’s maturity in Christ. Or its development is directly
proportional to your one’s personal development in Christ. Meaning if you want
walk in great dimensions of the ministry of prophesying then it is prudent to
grow in your walk with Lord.
How can one grow in the Lord or in the faith?
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of prophesying and
its operation. Ask God for the strength to always act on His word. Pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to teach you and give you understanding into Romans 12.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of prophesying
We understood from yesterday that the spiritual
development or growth is directly proportional to the development of the
ministry of prophesying. Meaning if someone is in the ministry of prophesying,
he grows into this ministry as he grow spiritual.
The question that needs answering is how then do the
believer grows spiritually, what is his contribution to his growth?
The daily infilling or supply of the Holy Spirit is cause
for the growth of the believer. We treated this subject into details when we
were talking about the infilling ministry of the Spirit earlier in our studies,
so I will just touch on the core points.
The daily infilling or supply of the Spirit is through
the agency of the studying of the word of God. This studies is not with our
mind but by our spirit, the recreated human spirit you received when you
believed in Jesus Christ. This is not about receiving approval from but from
God.
This can also be done when you listen to Spirit filled
songs, sermons, and also by the act of meditation. One thing that also help in
our spiritual development is to sing and pray in the Spirit, which we will to
take our time tomorrow to consider. May the Lord establish you and plant your
feet on high grounds.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of prophesying and
its operation. Ask God for the strength to always act on His word. Pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to teach you and give you understanding into Romans 12.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of prophesying
Praying and sing in the Spirit or the Holy Ghost is one
of the ways to receive the supply or infilling of the Spirit. In Ephesians 6:18
Paul said, “praying always with all kinds of prayer and supplication in the
Spirit”. To pray or sing in the Spirit is to pray or sing by inspiration of the
Holy Ghost either in your understanding or in tongues. This brings the supply
of the Spirit.
Paul, in writing to the Church at Corinth, encouraged the
Corinthian Christians to continue the practice of speaking with other tongues
in their worship of God. He also encouraged them to speak in tongues in their
individual prayer lives as a means of spiritual edification or building up. The
Bible says, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself. .
." 1 Corinthians 14:4.
The Apostle Paul said that speaking with tongues will
edify or build us up spiritually. To build or edify is to grow in spiritually.
I will say that sing in tongues also builds the inner man of the heart.
Jude also links praying in tongues with building yourself
up spiritually. He said; “But ye, beloved, BUILDING UP YOURSELVES on your most
holy faith, PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST.” My dear one if you want to grow or
build up your most holy faith then don’t stop praying and sing in the Spirit.
Howard Carter, who was one of the Pentecostal world's
most renowned teachers on the subject of spiritual gifts, said we must not
forget that speaking with other tongues is not only the initial evidence of the
Holy Spirit's infilling, but is also a continual experience for the rest of
one's life.
For what purpose? To assist us in the worship of God.
"Speaking in tongues," Rev Carter said, "is a flowing stream
that should never dry up, and that will enrich one's life spiritually."
And as we learnt earlier on, a person who operates is in
the ministry of prophesying grow in this ministry as he grows spiritually. This
means that if a person grows by speaking and singing in the Spirit then
ministry of prophesying can also be developed by singing and praying in the
Spirit.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of prophesying and
its operation. Ask God for the strength to always act on His word. Pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to teach you and give you understanding into Romans 12.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of prophesying
The Apostle Paul said that speaking with tongues will
edify or build us up spiritually. "For he that speaketh in an unknown
tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him;
howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" 1 Corinthians 14:2. Moffatt's
translation of this verse says, ". . . he is talking of divine secrets in
the Spirit." Paul was saying here that God has given to the church a
divine, supernatural means of communication with Him.
Paul also stated in First Corinthians 14:14, "For if
I pray in an unknown tongue, MY SPIRIT PRAYETH, but my understanding is
unfruitful." Notice he said, ".. . my spirit prayeth...." The
Amplified Bible reads, ". . . my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me]
prays. . . ." Understand this that God is a spirit. When you pray in
tongues, your spirit is in direct contact with God, who is a Spirit. When you
speak in tongues, you are talking to Him by divine, supernatural means.
Another reason people should speak with other tongues is
that tongues keeps us continually aware of the Holy Spirit's indwelling
Presence. Not only is speaking with tongues the initial sign or evidence of the
Holy Spirit's infilling, but continuing to pray and to worship God in tongues
helps us to be ever conscious of His indwelling Presence. And if you are
conscious of the indwelling Presence of the Holy Ghost every day, that is bound
to affect the way you think and live, which directly affects our growth
spiritual. Because you see it our daily quest as believers to dwell in the
presence of God, so being conscious of His presence is very important.
It is so easy, when you are not conscious of God's
Presence, to become aggravated and easily exasperated, and to allow yourself to
lose your temper. But if you will take time to fellowship with God by speaking
in tongues, you can continually be conscious of God's indwelling Presence,
which facilitates your growth as a believer and also causing the ministry of
prophesying to develop further.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of prophesying and
its operation. Ask God for the strength to always act on His word. Pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to teach you and give you understanding into Romans 12.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
Ministry, let us wait on our ministering………… Romans 12:7a
This ministry is called the ministry of ministry. It is
from the root word deacon, which means a servant of servants. The word ministry
is the Greek word diakonos, which is I said is from the root word, deacon. It
means to execute the command of another.
In Matthew 22:13, it was used in reference to servants of
kings. This is because true because the servants of a king only does the
bidding of the king. They act according to the desire, command or word by the
king.
In John 2:5 and 9, it is used in reference to servants of
a feast. In this context to, the servants of the feasts follows the instruction
of the feast manager or coordinator.
According to Romans 13:4, it is used for government
appointees, ministers, or officers of a civil government. They to obey and goes
by the directions given by the head of the government.
So like I stated in the beginning, there is to follow
instructions and directions of others in the chain of command. In all these
instance the same can be said of them all in a certain context and premises.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of prophesying and
its operation. Ask God for the strength to always act on His word. Pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to teach you and give you understanding into Romans 12.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
So like I stated yesterday, in the idea of “Diakonos”,
which is the Greek rendition for ministry, it
is all about following instructions and directions of others in the
chain of command.
And we also considered for 3 class of group people that
the word ministry is used in reference to – servants of kings, servants of
feasts and officers of civil government, and in all these instance the same can
be said of them all in a certain context and premises. Today we are considering
three more people the idea is used for.
It was used in relation to Jesus Christ to the Jewish
world and people in the work of His preaching, teaching, healing and miracle
workings. See Matthew 4:23-24, 9:35, Romans 15:8 and Galatians 2:7.
In Matthew 23:11, Mark 9:35 and Romans 16:1, the idea is
used in reference to men and women servants of churches.
The final application of the idea of ministry is found in
place like 1 Corinthians 3:5, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Ephesians 3:7, Colossians
1:23, 1 Thessalonians 3:2 and many more. In these instances, it is used in
relation to preachers of the Gospel.
So one will notice that the application of the idea is
vast and wide. But what did Paul mean when he used it in Romans 12?
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of prophesying and
its operation. Ask God for the strength to always act on His word. Pray and ask
the Holy Spirit to teach you and give you understanding into Romans 12.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
There is a general call for each and every believer to
serve each other. Jesus Christ started this concept, in the Gospel of John 13:4
– 15, Jesus got up from the supper table and cast out is outer garments and
took a towel and began to do the work of a servant in the Hebrew culture.
He did the servant’s work by washing the disciples’ feet
and wipe them with the towel around his waist. In the Hebrew land it was a
custom that when one receives a guest, it was the duty of the servant of
servants in the house to wash the feet of the people before they are taken in.
And it was not only a guest but also when the Lord of the
house or his family comes back home the servant of servants does that also. So
when Jesus got up to do that the disciples raised a eyebrow and because is the
most vocal one among them, made the attempt to stop Jesus. Now, after Jesus was
done He took His seat at table again and said the following in the verse 13 and
14; ““Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your
Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's
feet.”
This is our call as believers to serve one another as
Christ set the example but this act and general call different is different
from the ministry of ministry. You see you don’t have to be in this ministry
before you serve others. Paul also amplified this illustration of Jesus in one
of his writings. He said; “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;
only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one
another.”
This general serve is done in our liberty as believers as
act of love as Paul shows us in the above text. My dear one if you really love
them you will surely serve. This is one the things that is one of the things
gone missing in the body of Christ today – serving each other. But it is my
prayer that we begin to for the example of Jesus.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of ministry and its
operation. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to always act on His word by
following the of Jesus Christ in the general call of service.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
This ministry of ministry Paul is talking about is
different from the seven deacons chosen by the Church in the book of Acts as
helping hand to the Apostle.
¹ And in those days, when the number of the disciples was
multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. ² Then the
twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not
reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. ³ Wherefore,
brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy
Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. ⁴But
we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man
full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor,
and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they set
before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
Acts 6:1 – 6 KJV.
Although these men are called the seven deacons and they
were chosen to help the Apostles in their work but are different kinds of
deacons as compared to the ministry of ministry. Why? These men were not people
who had been given the ministry of ministry according to the text they were
just ordinary Church folks who were full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.
This means that in the Church one don’t have to be in the
ministry of ministry before he or she can work as a deacon. I believe it is by
the willingness of the individual in question to obey instructions and follow
the direction of the head.
I believe humility and love is the key to be successful
in this perceptive. I also believe that the reason why anyone can be appointed
to this place to help is because of the general call of believers to serve as
we noticed yesterday.
These seven men were given a specific task, that is, to
serve tables. This means that the leaders of a ministry can chose to call
anybody at all to duty as a deacon in the church when the need arises. It is my
prayer that if we assigned by our leaders in our local assemblies for any task
based on the demand, we will glad accept and function as such all to the praise
and glory of God.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of ministry and its
operation. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to always act on His word by
following the of Jesus Christ in the general call of service.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
We studied from yesterday that the ministry of ministry
Paul spoke of in Romans is different from those who were appointed to the
office of a deacon by the Church and found example of such ones in Acts 6:1 –
6.
If the Church can call or chose someone to serve in the
capacity of a deacon then there should be something they look at. This is what
Paul talk about in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued,
not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure
conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office
of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not
slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12. Let the deacons be the husbands
of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13. For they that
have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and
great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
I want you to give a good thought to the standard raised
by Paul. Because these people are chosen by men, and they might not necessarily
being called to the ministry of ministry, Paul listed these to help aid the
Church in choosing correct deacons. We will take our time to consider each point
raised by Paul in the coming days. But I pray that these qualities will be part
of your virtues as believer in Jesus name.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit revelation
and wisdom in the Knowledge of God concerning the ministry of ministry and its
operation. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to always act on His word by
following the of Jesus Christ in the general call of service.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
Paul wrote concerning the deacons who are appointed by
the Church to serve as servants that; 8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not
double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure
conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office
of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not
slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12. Let the deacons be the husbands
of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13. For they that
have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and
great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 3:8-13 KJV. And
this instructions is what is called the qualification of the deacons.
Now let us examine the key points. He said deacons should
be “grave”, which means to be venerable or honorable, this implies honest. That
is let your yes to be yes and no to be no. Understand this reality, the Lord
only honor our word to the extent that we honor our words.
Jesus once said this; “But let your communication be,
Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” Matthew
5:33 KJV. As I said earlier, the Lord is only true to our word if we are to it
ourselves.
Our honesty also determine how much authority we walk in,
the less honest we are the less authority we walk in as believers but the more
honest we are, the great the authority we walk in. It is my heartfelt prayer
that we live honestly in Jesus name.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit strength and
wisdom to walk honestly. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to always act on
His word by following the of Jesus Christ in the general call of service.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
The next in the qualification of deacons as Paul charged
Timothy with when it comes to selection is not doubled tongued. He penned; “Likewise
must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued…..”. 1 Timothy 3:8 KJV
To be double-tongued means equivocal, that is, telling a
different story. Thayer the Greek Bible Scholar put it this way; “saying the
same thing twice but with different content, double in speech, saying one thing
with one person another with another (with the intent to deceive).
So for instance you have a lady or guy but you are dating
another person behind his or her back. Now, when you are conned by
circumstances you tell them different stories about their status in your life.
So let say the first lady is called Ama and the second is
Afi. Now, you tell Ama when she saw you with Afi and later confronted you about
her that Afi is a cousin but you have already to told Afi that she is the love
of your life.
You realized that
the content in the message to both Ama and Afi concerning who Afi is to you are
not the same. And it is intended to deceive. Such an act is what the Bible is
referring to as doubled tongued. And Paul told Timothy and to all the Church
that in selecting a deacon the person should not be double-tongued. It is my
prayer that if you in that act you cease from that by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit strength and
wisdom not be double-tongued. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to always act
on His word by following the of Jesus Christ in the general call of service.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
“Likewise must the deacons……..not given to much wine, not
greedy of filthy lucre” 1 Timothy 3:8
The word “much” is added here to what is said 1Ti 3:2 of
the qualification of a bishop. It is not affirmed that it would be proper for
the deacon, anymore than the bishop, to indulge in the use of wine in small
quantities, but it “is” affirmed that a man who is much given to the use of
wine ought not, on any consideration, to be a deacon.
Let me be affirmative here that this qualification was
everywhere regarded as necessary for a minister of religion. Even the pagan
priests, on entering a temple, did not drink wine. The use of wine, and of
strong drinks of all kinds, was absolutely prohibited to the Jewish ministers
of every rank when they were about to engage in the service of God; Leviticus
10:9.
Why should it then be anymore proper for a Christian
minister to drink wine than for a Jewish or a pagan priest? Shall a minister of
the gospel be less holy than they? Shall he have a feebler sense of the purity
of his vocation? Shall he be less careful lest he expose himself to the
possibility of conducting the services of religion in an irreverent and silly
manner?
Shall he venture to approach the altar of God under the
influence of intoxicating drinks, when a sense of propriety restrained the
pagan priest, and a solemn statue of Yahweh restrained the Jewish priest from
doing it?
I pray for you that the Lord will strength you and cause
you to prosper without limit. May He empower you to resist the temptation of
taking much wine.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit strength and
wisdom not to be given to wine. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to always
act on His word by following the of Jesus Christ in the general call of
service.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
After Paul telling Timothy, in his first book to Timothy
about not taken to much wine as one of the things he should consider when
choosing people for the office of a deacon, the next thing he mentions is not
greed of filthy lucre. Let read it as he put it.
“Likewise must the deacons……..not given to much wine, not
greedy of filthy lucre” 1 Timothy 3:8
Greed of filthy lucre mean eager for base gain, or greedy
for money.
The special reason why this qualification was important
in the deacon was, that he would be entrusted with the funds of the church, and
might be tempted to appropriate them to his own use instead of the charitable
purposes for which they were designed; see this illustrated in the case of
Judas.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot,
Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 why was not this ointment sold for
three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared
for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was
put therein. John 12:4-6 KJV
I pray that if you are in the grips of greed of filthy
lucre the Lord through the Holy Spirit will deliver you in Jesus name. Amen.
Why? Because the problem still exist in the body of Christ but may it be fall away from you.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Praise God for His Word and for the privilege of
believing and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit strength and
wisdom not to be given to wine. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to always
act on His word by following the of Jesus Christ in the general call of
service.
Hallelujah
Theme: The Season of the Spirit
Text: Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16 – 18
Romans 12
The 7 Ministries – the ministry of ministry
The next qualification of the deacon Paul mentions is
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Let read it as he put it.
“8 Likewise must the deacons……..not given to much wine,
not greedy of filthy lucre, 9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure
conscience.” 1 Timothy 3:8, 9 KJV.
Paul used the word “mystery,” it means that which had
been concealed, or hidden, but which was now revealed. The word “faith” here,
is synonymous with “the gospel;” and the sense is that the person who is to be
considered for the office of a deacon should hold firmly the great doctrines of
the Christian religion which had been so long concealed from people, but which
were now revealed.
The reason is obvious. Though not a preacher, yet his
influence and example would be great, and a man who held material error ought
not to be in office.
And he used the term “in a pure conscience” - a mere
orthodox faith was not all that was necessary, for it was possible that a man
might be professedly firm in the belief of the truths of revelation, and yet be
corrupt at heart. This means that the person under consideration should not
have those sound biblical doctrine of faith as a mind asset but a firm belief
in heart. For it is not belief or the understanding of the mind that brings
life but it is that of the heart that brings life and righteousness.
God bless you
Prayer Points
Bless God for His Word and for the privilege of believing
and acting upon His Word. Ask God to give to your spirit strength and wisdom to
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to always
act on His word by following the of Jesus Christ in the general call of
service.
Hallelujah
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