The power of blessing is to gift others with what God has blessed you.
Offer to God what He has given you and He will give it back blessing
others through you.
It's true. I have many interests and probably too many hobbies: Horses,
writing, crocheting, cross stitch, knitting, scrap-booking,
drawing, music to name a few. A dear friend said to me once, “DeeAnn,
you have many passions.” To which I answered, “No, I have one passion,
Jesus Christ, and He gives me everything else.” Every blessing is
a means to bless others: Horses: let's do a retreat at the ranch.
Writing:sermons, newsletter articles, letters, lessons. Crocheting and
knitting: prayer shawls. Scrap-booking: “Confirmands let's make albums,
or Bible treasure boxes”.
If God's priests and people are unclear about how
to “minister to Him” Moses spells it out four verses down the road in
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God
require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways
and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and
with all thy soul.
Well, that's fine for priests who are paid to
worship, and for folk who lived 4,000 years ago. But what has that to do
with us? The book of Deuteronomy
is ancient. The customs and rituals of the Tabernacle and the Temple are
archaic. We have nothing in common in our time with them in theirs.
Their times are ancient to
us, but much more so is God... and God never changes. He longs for our
worship, devotion, adoration and praise every bit as much today as He
did then. The apostle John saw the scope of humanity's future in one
sweep of revelation of the Risen, glorious and victorious Christ, our
Lord Jesus. Look again at what John says in Revelation 1:4 John to
the seven churches...and from him which is and which was and which is to
come, and form the seven Spirits which are before his throne, and from
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. It is very clear who inspired,
who authorized, and who penned this letter to all the churches. It is
God inspired by The Holy Spirit, Christ authorized, and apostle penned.
It is a document revealing the strengths and shortfalls of the Church in
various places, the judgment, and the sure reward in the hand of God. It
is as relevant today as it was in 90A.D. - even more so as the time
grows short.
What does John say
about believers then and today? Read on: Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and
priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever
and ever. Amen. Every heart that believes Jesus Christ is the
son of the living God, died for our sin, and was raised from the dead in
victory over sin and death, is washed in the sacrificial blood of Jesus
and has been made king and priest to God, the Father of Christ, and
through Christ, our heavenly Father. By God's wisdom, God's initiative,
God's act in Jesus Christ, we were, installed as kings and priests: not
one or the other, not some are kings and some are priests, but both
together. Like the Levite priests we have responsibilities to Christ our
Lord.
Carry the Ark of the Covenant. That
is impossible. The ark of the covenant has been missing since the
Babylonian exile. That is true, but the Ark was symbolized the truth,
the Word of God, and God's very presence dwelling with His people. Jesus
Christ, the Son of God embodies and fulfills everything the Ark
represents. He is carried in the heart of every believer.
Stand before the Lord. On our own merits we could never stand
before the perfect truth, purity, love, beauty and power of God. But God
sees those redeemed, bought back by Christ, through Christ's perfect
obedience and righteousness. Thus we stand.
Minister
to the Lord. I think this must be one of the most difficult things to do
for us moderns. For one thing, we are immersed in a culture that
advances, endorses, glorifies and rewards Self Awareness, Self
Assertiveness, Self Gratification: self, self, self – a four-letter word
fo Idolatry in the present tense. Maybe we step aside from ourselves to
do something to help another, but we still look for approval or at least
acknowledgment for the deed done. To thank, praise, much less worship
and adore, some one we cannot see, makes us first feel self-conscious:
because we are! But as we open ourselves to the reality of the
living Person Jesus Christ, the unfathomable depth of his love for each
of us, the faithfulness of his promises, and inexpressible joy of His
presence, we know first hand, He is here. He is now. He is everything He
has said He is and more. When we begin to discover the ultimate eternal
truth, worship is nearly a knee jerk response: Thank you Jesus! Praise
You Jesus! Glory to Your Name forever and ever! We begin to truly
minister to Him
Bless
in His Name; that's really the easy part. Once you are in love
with Jesus you want to give and bless, and make His sweet Name and
Nature known. When you've got Jesus, you've got abundance- everything to
share: Your time, your abilities, your resources, your love and your
joy. You are no longer afraid to give as God directs, because not only
will He give you enough, but you have the joy of giving again, and
again.
Exuberant love and trust
in Christ exhibits the abundant life Jesus has promised. He has made us
kings and priests.There is really no basis for worry when we walk with a
faithful God who loves us, provides for us, keeps us, and heaps us in
His care. Worry does nothing for us physically, emotionally, or
spiritually, but undercut our faith in God who does everything for us.
Jesus
Himself tells us not to worry because it is fruitless. Which of
you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit. In
short, if your worry cannot affect even a small thing, why worry. And
ladies, take note of this: If God so clothe the grass (with beautiful
lilies) which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven;
how much more will he clothe you?
When I entered my first appointment I had a
husband, two children, and no wardrobe. I had one preaching dress and my
white robe. The rest of my clothes were comfortably suitable for
classes, but not appropriate for professional ministry. I remembered
reading of my hero, Rev. Peter Marshall – a man like King David,
passionate after God's own heart. When he was broke and needed a warm
overcoat, he prayed the Scripture, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and
all these things shall be added unto you.” So I calmly and simply prayed
for the clothes I needed to be presentable before God's people. The
clothes began to come: a skirt here, then a blouse, then slacks and
pants suits. In a matter of a couple of weeks people just gave me
everything I needed. Except for a warm winter coat. “Well, Lord,” I can
make do with my jacket. But then I called on a woman in the hospital,
who very ill, did not think she was long for this world. She told me to
go to the closet and take out her coat. Try it on. It was black, and
plush and beautiful. “Keep it,” She insisted. “I won't be needing it
anymore.” I quickly saw that refusal would make her angry. So I promised
I would keep it until she needed it again. She waved off the remark as
though it were senseless. Three years later, before I left that Church,
I returned her coat with my deep gratitude. She had recovered, and was
well enough to be needing it. Fear not little flock; for it is
your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke. 12:32
So what treasure do you bring to such
almighty, amazing, amorous self-sacrificing Jesus? Through Him
worlds were created. He knows all things. His love is perfect,
pure, infinite. He is absolute truth and righteousness. What do you give
Jesus who has everything? The one thing He refuses to take for
Himself. You.
