Whenever a believer stretches out to serve, something
tangible and miraculous happens.
Note: Don’t get overwhelmed
or over spiritualize “stretches out to serve.”
Remember, the simple definition for the ministry of helps is
literally “one who gives assistance.”
We’re not talking about a vow of poverty or going off to some foreign
land as a missionary. “One who gives assistance” can be a guy who opens a car
door or helps an overwhelmed mom get her kids in church. Those qualify as giving assistance and
thus ministry! As I was saying,
something tangible happens when you stretch out to do or serve. Tangible means “a thing that is
perceptible by touch.” The
anointing of God has tangible results.
One of the best examples of a tangible anointing accompanying serving is
what happened right after the Great Commission was given.
“And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord
working with them, and confirming the word with, (tangible), signs following.
Amen” (Mark 16:20, KJV).
The Apostle Paul noted that when he was serving his gift
of preaching to the people at Corinth, there were tangible results: “And my
speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in (tangible) demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians
2:4, KJV).
I don’t want us to somehow think we are the catalyst of
God’s grace. Yes, we must do our
part, but we are entirely dependant upon the Lord for tangible results. The Apostle Paul said it best: “I have
planted, Apollos watered; but God gave
the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6, KJV).
The Old Testament gives a glimpse of the tangible presence
of God in the midst of those who would dare to serve Him unashamedly and
wholeheartedly. After retrieving
the Ten Commandments, Moses came down the mountain with tangible evidence
accompanying his ministry of service.
His face glowed!
“Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and
the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the
mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he
talked with Him” (Exodus 34:29).
In the book of Acts, the tangible anointing on Paul as he
served the people praying for the sick actually stuck to the sweat rags he was
using. They took these rags and
lay them on the sick, and the tangible (a
thing that is perceptible by touch) anointing caused diseases to leave and
demons to flee. That’s tangible!
“God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that
even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the
diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:11–12).
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FOR
PRAYER and INFO...
If
you’re interested in material of having me come teach this message in your
church go to http://www.yourministrymatters.com/
and click on the appropriate link.
If
you are interested or know someone who is, (or should be), pass along this
link. It is a short 4 minute
introduction about the Ministry Of HELPERS in Scripture. http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=fd8cba67373266062b38
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