30Oct 2020 by admin

Working with the Holy Spirit

Ministry empowerment
https://youtu.be/mC4QDWUUWK0 What happens when we work with the Spirit ​ We will receive power The greater part of the Old Testament passages which refer to the Spirit of God have to do with gifts and powers conferred by the Spirit for service in the ongoing of the kingdom of God. The children of Israel cried unto Yahweh and He raised up a savior for them, Othniel, the son of Kenaz: “And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel” (Jdg_3:10). So also Gideon (Jdg_6:34): “The Spirit of Yahweh came upon (literally, clothed itself with) Gideon.” In Jdg_11:29 “the spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah”; and in Jdg_13:25 “the Spirit of Yahweh began to move” Samson. In Jdg_14:6 “the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon him.” In 1Sa_16:14…
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30Oct 2020 by admin
How to prevent a burnout in ministry

How to prevent a burnout in ministry

Ministry empowerment
For this study we will use 1 Kings 19 as our main text with references to other passages in the Scripture. The story goes that Elijah had confronted the prophets of Baal and sealed the victory for the Lord. When the evil queen Jezebel heard that, she vowed to have Elijah killed. Elijah, after a tiring showdown with the prophets of Baal, succumbed to the threat and suffered from a burnout. He fled for his life to the wilderness. There the Lord met with him and restored him. Burnout is very real to people who are active in ministry. We all have human limitations. Even Jesus, while He was on earth, had human limitations and took steps to prevent a burnout. Ministry is a marathon and not a 100m sprint.…
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30Oct 2020 by admin
Deliverance

Deliverance

Ministry empowerment
How to do deliverance? Use the authority that is present in Jesus’ name The way to do that is to use the authority that is given to us by Jesus, who already defeated the evil forces by the cross. (Col 2:15 NIV)  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Luke 10:17-19 NIV)  The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." {18} He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. {19} I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Combat the devil with the word of God Jesus showed us how…
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30Oct 2020 by admin
Making disciples

Making disciples

Ministry empowerment
Make discipleship your goal (Mat 28:19-20 NIV)  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." The Great Commission does not tell us to make converts; it tells us to make disciples. We should make that our goal. We don’t just make converts and leave them on their own. What should we teach our disciples? Fruitfulness (John 15:8 NIV)  This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. We can think of fruitfulness in two ways. One is to develop the…
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30Oct 2020 by admin
Success in ministry

Success in ministry

Ministry empowerment
God is responsible for the success We are responsible for our effort. Leave the results to God (1 Cor 3:5-6 NIV)  What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. {6} I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. We may feel disappointed in our ministry because we do not see results. However, we are not responsible for the results. God is. Paul says he planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God alone is the one responsible for making it grow. If you have tried your best to grow your church and the results are slow to come, do not be discouraged. God will not hold you accountable for…
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30Oct 2020 by admin
How should church leaders exercise authority

How should church leaders exercise authority

Ministry empowerment
Not dictatorship, but servanthood (Mat 20:25-27 NIV)  Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. {26} Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, {27} and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— (1 Pet 5:2-3 NIV)  Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; {3} not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. Being examples to our followers means that we do what we want them to do.…
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30Oct 2020 by admin
Balancing ministry with other demands of life

Balancing ministry with other demands of life

Ministry empowerment
Importance of rest for sustained ministry success (Exo 31:15 NIV)  For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. God’s people were not commended for working non-stop. On the contrary, those who did not observe the Sabbath were put to death. Why is rest so important? Because the God who created us knows that we can only function effectively if we have enough rest. If we don’t rest, we may do well for a short time but will definitely burn out after a while. (Psa 23:1-3 NIV)  A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. {2} He makes…
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30Oct 2020 by admin
Church discipline

Church discipline

Ministry empowerment
Procedure (Mat 18:15-17 NIV)  "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. {16} But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' {17} If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 1. Go to the brother or sister; show the fault to him or her in private. 2. If he/she does not listen, go with one or two witnesses. 3. If he/she refuses to listen, take…
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30Oct 2020 by admin
Lessons from the Body of Christ

Lessons from the Body of Christ

Ministry empowerment
Christ is the Head of the church (Eph 5:23 NIV)  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. What does the head do that the rest of the body do not? It thinks and sets directions. No part of the body moves by itself. Every movement is on instruction of the brain. This gives us a clue as to how God wants us to move in ministry. We move only in response to what the head tells us to do. The early church behaved like this. Before they embark on any venture, they would pray to God for leading first. (Acts 13:2-4 NIV)  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy…
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