MINISTER AS HE HAS GIVEN YOU THE ABILITY

1 Peter 4:8-11 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (9) Use hospitality one to another without grudging. (10) As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (11) If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.


I love to hear someone who has a beautiful voice sing specials. Sadly everyone (especially me) has not been blessed with a beautiful voice. Everyone can not sing and that is just a plain fact.

I love to preach. I think preaching and writing are the two things I enjoy more than anything but I realize that I could do neither if God had not called me to do them. I also realize that everyone can't preach or teach. That does not mean that you can't minister in some way.

Many of the jobs in our church go unappreciated and unnoticed. I appreciate the ushers who take the offering each Sunday. If you feel that you don't have any other ability your service in greeting people as they come in to worship is worth everything. I am not just talking about visitors either. When a person comes to church it makes them feel better to be greeted and made to feel welcome.

There are many things and I can't list all of them but Nursery workers, youth workers, people to mail cards, visitors for shut-ins, someone to call absentees, and the list goes on, are jobs that require little skill. They only require making yourself available and doing the job, yet they mean so much to the ministry of the church.

Please feel free to contact me by email at

shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.


If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

THE ABILITY TO MINISTER TO OTHERS

1 Peter 4:8-11 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (9) Use hospitality one to another without grudging. (10) As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (11) If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Someone once said that it is not our ability but our availability to serve God that is most important. I whole heartedly agree with that. I have known Sunday School teachers and some preachers with little or no formal education that God used in a great way.

If we have a great love for our Savior and a fervent love for our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as a burden for the lost we can be used regardless of our abilities. God will always equip us to do the work that he calls us to do if we will make ourselves available to Him.

The next few devotionals are devoted to encouraging you to allow God to enable you to minister to others. I hope you recieve a blessing from them.

Please feel free to contact me by email at shilohkosciusko@gmail.com with questions, comments or even suggestions for further devotional studies.

If you know of someone new to the Kosciusko area and would like for our church to visit them please let us know. Our prayers are that this devotional ministry will be an outreach to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus. I do appreciate you taking the time to read these devotionals and please keep us in your prayers.

WHAT WE MUST HAVE 5

WE MUST HAVE LOVE
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. {2} And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. {3} And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
I usually make a practice after I preach of telling my congregation that I love and appreciate them. These are not empty words, I really do love and appreciate them and I have loved and appreciated every congregation God has allowed me to minister to. After I said that one morning a church member told me, "You are the only pastor we ever had that told us he loved us."
I was not only surprised, I was shocked. The ability and the willingness to love people has been one of the greatest gifts that God has given me in the ministry.
I have lacked many things in my ministry. I haven't had the greatest education and this can hinder the minstry. My speaking ability is a little rough around the edges and to be honest there are a lot of mysteries that I don't understand well enough to explain them to others. I have only a little faith (I do have it in a Great God though). So far I haven't bestowed all my goods to feed the poor and I am certainly not in any big hurry to be burned.
Having said all that, the one thing I do have and it has carried me through my entire ministry is a heart full of love for God's people. When I can do nothing else, I can love. Why should this be so hard?I am saved because God loved me in spite of everything and I think he has commmanded us, "Now you go and share this love with a world who needs it."