STEPS TO EXCELLENCE IN MINISTRYPART 3

Welcome again today,

My purpose here is to glorify God by helping you to discover yourself, build you, train and impact you with the necessary information that will change your life, finances, career, relationships, business, ministry and family; to make of you a success before God and man through proven Biblical truths, prayers and life principles.

I believe you are enjoying and learning from this series of God's true plan for your ministry?

Let us go on with  series please:

You must devote Yourself to Pleasing God

A   decision   for   total   dedication   includes   a determination   to   please   God.   Go   through   the   New Testament   and   learn   those   things   that   bring   Him pleasure. For instance, But without faith it is impossible to   please   him  (Heb.   11:6).   We  must  walk   by   faith   in order to please God.

The Father God is   not delighted when we are in   the flesh. We must be spiritually minded (Rom.8:1-8).

God   receives   no   enjoyment   out   of   our   being defeated.   Defeated   Christians   do   not   delight   their heavenly   Father.   He   was   grieved   at   the   children   of Israel   because   they   were   overcome   in   the   wilderness.

For some,  when  they   had  heard,  did   provoke:   howbeit not   all   that   came   out   of   Egypt   by   Moses.   But   with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had  sinned, whose carcases  fell in the  wilderness?

(Heb. 3:16,17).  Our not walking  in   victory  is   just  as Offensive to Him.

The   decision   to   please   the   Father  must  include   the decision   to   live   in   victory.   The   victory   which overcomes  the   world  is   faith   (1   John  5:4).  God intends for you to use your faith for every endeavor in life. You should   bat   your   eyes   by   faith!  The   just   shall   live   by faith (Rom.1:17).

In   addition   to   faith,   you   must  also   live   and   walk  in the love of God. Getting strife out of your life is part of yourdedication to God. That, my friend, requires a firm

Quality decision of the highest order.

In   my   own  ministry   at   times,   I   know  I   must  appear two-faced   to   those   who   work   around   me.   I   demand excellence.   Yet  on  the   other  hand,   I   will  be   supportive of  a  person  who  is   falling   far   short  of  perfection  in   his work.   Because  of   my   commitment   to   walk  in   the   love of God,  I'll  stay with him and stand by  him.  I have had people ask me why I did not dismiss someone from my staff   because   of   their   incompetence.   I   am   simply   not that type. As long as a person is making  every  effort to succeed,  I   will work  with him  to  see  that  he attains  the accuracy   and   perfection   he   is   capable   of   with   God's help.

But  there   is  one  thing   which  we  do  not  allow  in   our ministry.   If   a   person   causes   strife,   he'll   have   to   work someplace   else.   We absolutely   will   not   tolerate   strife because it is so destructive.

Notice   again   2   Timothy   2:21, If   a man therefore purges   himself   from   these....  What   are   the   "these"   to which   Paul   refers?   Verses   22-24   tell   us,  Flee   also youthful   lusts:   but   follow   righteousness,   faith,   charity (love),  peace,  with  them   that   call   on  the   Lord  out  of  a pure heart.

But foolish and unlearned  questions  avoid,  knowing that they  do gender strafes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive.

God will keep you from all foolishness and help you in embracing His true call upon your life and ministry in Jesus name!

Thanks,

Join me again tomorrow for the continuation

John Olanrewaju

Pastor, Author, Poet, Creativity, Business, Relationship, Career & Life Coach

Feel free to give your comment, suggestions and questions.

God bless you!

STEPS TO EXCELLENCE IN MINISTRY PART 2

Morning to you,

Let us go on with our series of Steps to Excellence in Ministry.

I believe you are gaining insight into the understanding you need to become all that God requires of you?

The next understanding you need is you need to find Your Place in the Body of Believers

The Bible says that the callings of God are without repentance   (Rom. 11:29). If   you   are   called to   be   an apostle, prophet, evangelist,   pastor, teacher   or to   any other ministry   in   the   body of   Christ, the   Lord will not revoke   the assignment given   to   you.   He ordained you before   the   foundation   of   the   world.   When   you   stand before the judgment seat of Christ, it will be in the light of your calling—not what you did, nor what you meant to   do or   wished   you   had done,   but what God said   you were   appointed   to   do.   This   applies   not   only   to   the fivefold ministry but to every member of Christ's body.

Each believer is anointed and endued with power to fulfill a specific function. By the Spirit of God, every individual is able to perform their calling with mastery and   excellence.   So,   it   would   be   to   your   advantage   to

find your calling and get in it!

You may  have  to   change  your   thinking   to   find   your place.   If   you   have   some   unscriptural   religious traditions,   you will have to   discard them.   For example, 2 Timothy2:20says, But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth;   and   some   to   honour,   and   some   to   dishonour.

Many who read that verse (or preach it) stop right there. They   say,   "Not   everybody   can   have   the   kind   of excellent   ministry   that   people   like   Brother   Copeland

have.   Because  in   a   great   house   there   are   some   vessels to   honor   and   some   to   dishonor.   Some   are   vessels   of gold,   but   some   of   us   are   required   to   be   the   earthen vessels."

Nonsense!   Satan   will   twist   the   very   scriptures themselves   in   order   to   keep   people   bowed   down   and trying   to   please   God on   the   basis   of   their   feelings   and false   humility.   If   you   don't   believe   that's   hypocritical, just see how you react when someone else starts telling you   how worthless you   are!   Just   let   your   darling   child comes home from   school one day and say, "Guess what the   teacher   told   me   today?   That   I   am   unworthy,   no good   and   a   worm!"   You would go   to   court   over   that! Yet   many   people   tell   God   that   very   thing   about themselves and call it humility—that's hypocrisy.

Let's read   on  and  finish   the   entire  passage.  Let's  see what   the   Bible   actually   says   about   us   (verse   21).  If   a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto   honour,   sanctified,   and  meet  for  the   master's   use,   and prepared  unto   every   good   work.  "Meet"   is   an   Old English word which means "able."

Whether you become a gold  pot  or a mud  pot  is  not the   Master's   decision;   it   is  yours.  Both   are   available.

You can be a vessel of honor as a matter of choice.

God   has   more respect   for   us   than   many   of   us   give Him credit for.   Did you   ever watch a master craftsman at   his   trade?   How   does   he   treat   his   tools?   He   is   not negligent and careless.  His tools   are specially designed and   tempered,   full   of   strength   and   power   to   do   very specific tasks.   As a skilled craftsman, he depends upon his   instruments   for   his   livelihood.   He   meticulously uses,   cares   for   and   maintains   the   tools   of   his   trade.

They   are   extensions   of   his   creativity.   He   intends   for them to last a life time and to be handed down to his son after   him.  The tools   of   a   man's   trade   take   care   of him, and he takes care of them.

In   the   redemption of   the   human   race,   you   and   I   are the   tools   of God’s   craft.  Jesus   is   the   Redeemer, but we are   the   bearers   of   Good News.   He is   the   vine,   but   we are the   branches that   bear the   fruit.   He will care for   us and   sustain   us.   He   will   temper   us.   A   wrench   is   not tempered   by   beating   it   over   an   anvil.   People   have   the mistaken idea   that   to   strengthen   a   believer   God   has   to be at and harass him.

No!  It   takes   oil  to   temper   steel.   The  oil  of  the   Holy Spirit   toughens   and   reinforces   us.   Our   strength   and power lie in the Word of God and His Spirit indwelling us.

God will keep you safe in His will in Jesus name!

Thanks,

Join me again tomorrow for the continuation

Remain blessed!

John Olanrewaju

Pastor, Author, Poet, Creativity, Business, Relationship, Career & Life Coach

Feel free to give your comment, suggestions and questions.

STEPS TO EXCELLENCE IN MINISTRY PART 1

A lovely day to you,

Today I want us to learn some basic steps to excellence in ministry as it pertains to you in working right towards that call of God and fulfilling your purpose.

Let us start with the first steps today:

The first step excellence in ministry is Dedication

The first step to excellence in ministry is dedication. True dedication is a decision of   quality—a decision where there is no turning back.

True dedication simply makes a decision based on one's commitment to God, not on feelings or emotions.

The difference between operating on a decision for dedication as opposed to operating by your emotions can be illustrated like this.

Many people pray and beg God to give them a burden for souls, an overwhelming   feeling that will make them win the lost. Such praying is foolish in light of the   teachings of the New Testament. Nowhere are we told to pray this way. We are, however, commanded by Jesus Christ Himself to go ye into all the world, and preach   the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). The very fact that a person prays for a   burden is evidence that he already has a heart tow in souls. All he has to do is obey the commandment. If Jesus told us to do it, that should be sufficient motivation whether we feel like it or not.

The Bible says that Jesus was moved by compassion. What is compassion? It is love.   Likewise, God is love. Therefore, compassion is a Person. If Compassion told us to go, then we should be moved by Compassion and pursue the task. We should be moved by what God has said, not by feelings.

Just as a marriage union is solidified by a commitment of faith instead of emotions,   the stability of your ministry does not depend on your feelings. A decision for a ministry   of excellence is a deep, firm resolution which men cannot alter and circumstances cannot change.

True commitment can be compared to a pilot in a single engine airplane. If the engine fails in midair, the pilot is committed to landing his craft. He has no choice; his feelings of fear, doubt or inadequacy are of absolutely no consequence whatsoever. He will land his plane one way or the other. If he has committed himself to flying, he will take control and land the best he can and spare his life as well as the lives of his passengers.

A time will come in your life when you will face commitment. How you handle it now   may well determine whether you succeed or fail and even whether you live or die.

If you are not willing to face commitment inspite of emergencies and opposition, do   not pursue the ministry any longer in that condition. Take the time to get before God   and study His Word until the Holy Spirit and you deal with your willingness to be committed. Philippians 2:13 tells you that God is at work in you to both will and do His good pleasure. He is faithful, and He will create in you the power and the desire to make an uncompromised decision.

When you finally make a full, no quit, no turn back, forever commitment to God, fulfilling your calling will be the most exciting thing you've ever done. But until the   issue is forever settled in your mind and heart, you will have hell on earth. Satan will torment you unmercifully.

Don't be afraid to accept the responsibility of making a   decision.  God has   provided   the   power, furnished   the weapons and equipped you with everything you need. It is   the   same   as   experiencing   the   new   birth.  Once   you made the   decision, God did the rest. His power, His Spirit and His Word performed their functions, and you were born   again. A decision was all it took.  All you must do is determine in your heart to obey your calling, and God will do His part.

A man once asked me what I did for a living. I answered, "I am a preacher." "Oh,” he   replied, “My, it's a difficult life and a high price to pay." I said, "No, Frankly I am having the time of my life."

Never be deceived by thinking that being in the will of God is expensive. The most   costly thing on this planet is being out of the will of God. You cannot afford it.

God will keep you safe in His will in Jesus name!

Thanks,

Join me again tomorrow for the continuation

John Olanrewaju

Pastor, Author, Poet, Creativity, Business, Relationship, Career & Life Coach

Feel free to give your comment, suggestions and questions.