Tuesday, October 18, 2011

DO YOU NEED REFRESHMENT?

Life giving water sources always have an incoming source and an outgoing flow. If either one of these stops, life stops. The same is true in our own lives and ministry.
Each of us in ministry need to be refreshed on a continual basis. Without refreshment, our well will ultimately run dry. On the other hand, we are called to be the source of refreshment to others. They depend on us for encouragement and help. Without our encouragement, they will fail. There is a giving and receiving side to refreshment; we need both to experience true Life in Jesus Christ.
In a recently added sermon titled, "The Ministry of Refreshment", Rev. Phillip Harrelson shares great insight into the Apostle Paul's ability to encourage and refresh others in ministry. Paul was able to do so because there were men in his life who encouraged and refreshed him. One of these men is a man rarely spoken of; His name is Onesiphorus. In this sermon, Rev. Harrelson shares the story of Onesiphorus's devotion to encouraging and refreshing Paul during his darkest hours. When Paul was locked down in Rome, It was Onesiphorus who turned Rome upside down until he found him and encouraged him.
2 Timothy 1:17 KJV But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
Rev. Harrelson states;
This is how great churches are built, by people who are willing to shoulder the responsibility and do the work of the ministry of refreshment. Great churches don't just happen, they are populated by men and women who have great-hearts and are inclined to help somebody with their chain.
Responsibility rings out of that passage of Scripture. He sought me out very diligently. He searched hard.
· This means traveling the high, stormy seas from Asia to Italy.
This means putting life on hold for an extended period of time.
· This means leaving the warmth of family and the camaraderie of friends.
· This means getting there at your own expense to do the will of God.
Onesiphorus was a noble-minded and strong-hearted man who had determined to give himself to the ministry of refreshment.
This kind of devotion will knit the hearts of people in a church together.
Paul was successful because he recognized the importance of the ministry of refreshment. There was always an incoming source and an outgoing flow of this ministry in his life.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

PAUL'S PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the
fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death,
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." - Philippians 3:10-11

We hear a lot these days about planning and goal setting. Proponents of
planning say, "If you aim at nothing, chances are you will probably hit
it." They say that to wander aimlessly through life is like sailing a
boat without a sail and rudder. You end up wherever the wind takes you.
Paul understood his personal mission, which should be the personal
mission of every believer in Jesus Christ. It is the one summary
statement that best describes the purpose of our existence on earth and
the goal of our Christian experience. It can be reduced to three
important characteristics.
To know Christ.
To know and experience His power.
To identify with His sufferings.
All that flows from these three objectives becomes a by-product.
Salvation is a by-product. Miracles are a by-product.
Christlikeness is a by-product. Paul's focus was on relationship. He
understood that the deeper the relationship, the more power he would
experience. He also understood that as he grew in this relationship,
there would be suffering. Whenever the Kingdom of Light confronts the
kingdom of darkness, there is a battle, and this often results in
casualties. Christ confronted these earthly kingdoms and suffered for
it. If we are living at this level of obedience, we, too, will face
similar battles; it simply comes with the territory.
Does this sound like your personal mission statement? Is your focus in
life centered on knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection? If
not, press into Him today in order to begin experiencing Christ more
intimately.