God's Purpose

 Acts 9:36
 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did.
Tabitha was known for her ministry in making clothes for those in need. Her life was spent helping others and giving herself to make life easier on others. When she passed away, many gathered to mourn her passing. Upon hearing that Peter and his disciples were nearby, they sent messengers to have him come. It is unclear if they just wanted Peter to come and pay respects, or if they hoped for a miracle. It was God’s will that a miracle happen. Miracles don’t always happen just because we pray they will. God always has a purpose to manifest his power. God was not done with Tabitha. The miracle from death to life brought many to believe in Christ. Tabitha was not a preacher, she was a woman who demonstrated Christ in her life through her good works and giving her life to the service of helping people. No doubt, after God raised her from the dead, she continued to be faithful in making garments and giving to others who had needs.

Doing It For God

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

Sometimes I wonder why I even try, it seems like no one really cares one way or another what I do. whether it be at work, or at church many things go unnoticed. I believe it is natural to desire that the things we do count for something and are having an impact in the world we live. I must always remind myself that what I do does not have to be seen by others. I do what I do because it is what God called me to do. God sees the time and effort I give and the frustration and stress that I go through. Frustrated when things don’t go the way they were planned, stressed out when my efforts fall short. It is good that God sees the heart and the motivation to do what is right. Other may not see it and may judge wrongfully, but the work I do is not to please others, but to please the God I serve. We must keep plowing and keep our eyes straight ahead on the things that really matter. Doing all things with our whole heart for Christ and the Kingdom.

Serving Him

Num 4:24 “This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve and to bear burdens.”-

The service we give to God is not measured by what it is, but by our willingness to do it. God calls all that follow Him to serve in some way. Each according to his or her’s ability. It is our human tendency to rank the importance of service. We tend to think that those who service in direct full-time ministry have more important jobs to do. The calling of God to ministry is a great calling and should never be minimize, but God calls everyone to service and all service has a place and is important in the building of God’s Kingdom.  The Gershonites were given the grave responsibility to do the work of the tabernacle. Their job was manual labor, and it was ordained and order by God. There is no higher calling given to man, than to do the work that God calls him to do. There are no big “I” and little “I” in building His church. We all have a part to carry and He is pleased when we carry out the work with a cheerful heart. Our attitude toward our work and how we do it is a measure of our love and service to Him.

Doing Service

Eph. 6:7 “with good will doing service, as to the Lord and not to men,”- 

We all go through life doing the same thing day by day. Most of us get up and prepare for a day of work. We leave our home to fulfill a day of service. We labor to put food on the table and a roof over our head. We go many days doing the same thing over and over again. Most of our life is doing mundane routine things. We may wonder how we are fulfilling the will or call of God. To serve God is not just found in ministry, serving God is done in everything we do. Yes, we go about are daily duties to provide for our daily needs and wants, but God desires us to serve with a glad heart and do all things as servants of God. We may live on earth working for a company or have a supervisor that is difficult to work for, but we must stay focus on who we really serve. Our labor is not in vain, God will use us and our testimony in whatever capacity we find ourselves in. Life is never boring, if we purpose to do all things to please Him.

The Church- One Body

1 Corinth 12:18 “But now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body as it hath pleased Him.”- 

For church to be non functional, it must be able to work together without division. Because we all come from different backgrounds, with different ideas, it is not uncommon to have different opinion on how things are done. Every part of the work of God is important and God has given each member of His church a gift and talent to be used to create a church that will please Him. There is more than just one function of the church, and each one is important for a church to be health. The church is foremost a body of believers who have come together to worship God, they gather together to learn more about Jesus and to build and edify each other in the Lord. Thirdly, the church is place where people who need God can come and find Him. The church has a responsibility to reach out to those who are hurting and to those who don’t know God. The church is more than a hospital for the sick (sinners). We gather together as one to worship Him and encourage each other in the faith. Division often comes when we think one of these is more important than another. We are one body, we all are in Christ, and our purpose is to please Him.