Accomplishment of Gods will in your life...

[Simon]

Finish the work

St. John 17: 4

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Philippians 3: 12

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.



There is a work, a ministry, a key role in someone’s life that we all have to fulfill. There's a little boy that needs a good role model so he can see that all men aren’t heartless, they don't all sleep around and leave their children. A little girl that needs to see that she doesn't have to be apart of the number of pregnant teens, and that she herself is a gift from God (psalm 127: 3). There's such a need for the people of God to be taught, to help prevent them from perishing for lack of knowledge.

The Spirit has given to every man to profit withal (1 Corinth 12: 7), we all have a spiritual gift to carry out the work that God has given us to do. At times though we have to press, press through principalities that would prevent us from fulfilling our mission, press through opposition from the world outside, opposition from our pears and sometimes friends and family (St. John 7:5 ), and opposition from inside our own bodies and past lives.



We have to deny our selves to get where God truly wants us to be with him, and to do all the things he wants us to do. Initially we do want to do the work, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Rom 7), but the flesh doesn't want us to go there because it would be totally consumed. We don't like to feel uncomfortable, we don't like to be too hot or too cold, we don't want to be beaten, cursed at, and opposed, so we stay on the skirts of Gods presence where we could still satisfy some of our own desires. but in the depths of Gods presence everything about us is consumed, where Gods desires become our desires (we are one spirit with God- 1corin 6:17), the place where he speaks to us and it's evident because of the shine on our faces, where we have deeper visions, we see greater possibilities, and we know him more intimately.



thou- the work is from God -gavest me- we all have a work to do. Your work isn't another person’s work, he gave you as an individual a work, and even if God does find someone to fill your shoes you’re still accountable for what he wanted you to do, he knows why he chose you. Some of us were given the task of teaching, some preaching, others dancing and mentoring, some were given multiple responsibilities. But what ever God gave you to do it's important that (like our master Jesus) you finish your part in this life. We have people preaching when they should be making dances for God, people singing when they should be teaching, people playing when they should be serious. But in the end God is going to ask, "Did you do what I gave you to do?"



Press, apprehend for what you are apprehend of God



apprehend- 1) to lay hold of a) to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain, attain to, to make one's own, to take into one's self, appropriate



It's yours, it's your calling and ministry, it's the level of your relationship with God, it's what God wants you to know, it's what God wants you to do.

And always remember to give God the glory "-I have glorified thee on the earth-"

[Saint Kevin]

Thanks for the word Simon, it was a reaffirmation of some things God has been telling me recently through his Word, my pastor, and others.

Two questions though:

One: When you said "past lives" you were referring to our individual lives that we led before we knew Christ right, not the " past lives" in the sense of reincarnation right? (I'm fairly positive you meant this, but I just wanted to be sure)

Two: Do you have maybe some advice on what to do next? I'm convinced God has something for me to do, and I'm convinced that He has given me some sort of spiritual gift, I agree with you there, but I was wondering if you had some advice for those of us who haven't quite found out what our spiritual gift is yet? How are we to discover it? And how are we to know if we really are doing God's will in our lives?

Hope that wasn't too many questions. Just answer the best you can, and it would really help me. Thanks Simon.
-SK.

[Simon]

Praise The Lord, glad to see that the Lord is working mightily in your life.

And yes, I definitely meant the life that we lived before we gave our lives to Jesus Christ.

I'm glad you asked that question about what to do next.

remember that we are walking bibles as Christians, so people read the words of God and are spoken by him in how we live.
But of course the Lord has also given every believer at spiritual gifts and ministry gifts.
Finding out what it is can be simple. as you give yourself to God in prayer and worship he'll show you more and more where or what he wants you to be. Understand that your ministry may already be in you as it was in David before he became a king. David took care of sheep. this was his ministry, shepherding, God was training him for the greater work of shepherding Israel. Moses already had the instruments God was going to use to exhibit his power, it was his staff (not to mention that he also had some training dealing with sheep before his commission as a Pastor and prophet). Maybe you're going to be a pastor and you're getting training by taking care of little children, maybe you're an evangelist and your training is witnessing to people in the chat rooms, you may not know right now but neither did David know.
Maybe the instrument God will use is your pen, or your computer, or your fascination in science or drama. For David it was his sling.

The best thing I can say as I would tell everyone by Gods grace is to avail yourself to God in prayer, be willing to help out in various ministries in the church and outside of church (Christian causes of course), find out what you like to do best in ministry, in your spare time and consider prayerfully if that thing you enjoy to do as a Christian can be where the Lord is leading you.

Don't neglect any form of Jesus-service as if it's not a ministry. Other than teaching, preaching and singing, know that cleaning the church, cleaning someone else’s house, driving people to church, feeding the poor, drawing and painting things for God are also powerful ministries. Songwriting, poetry and story making, Christian web designing, and any form of Jesus-Christ promotion will result in ministering to someones heart. And there are people that are literally anointed by God to do all these things and more.

Check out my website and go to the section that says "Lessons about the Christian walk" and then to the 4th reading that says "ministry"
http://www.freewebs.com/somebodycares


By the way, Spiritual gifts can also be received through prayer. 1Cor 12:31
Spiritual gifts would be 1Corinthians 12:8-10 and more
Ministry gifts would be Ephesians 4:8-12 and more

[Swordguy]

I know that the Lord will make His will fairly clear. At least He did with me. He gave me an idea to a work for Him and i doubted at first whether it was from the Lord. Then more and more the opertunity arose and the pieces started to fall into place. Everywhere i turned it was as if He was saying are you going to do my will yet. He is very patent and i very glad for this fact. For my pride kept geting in the way. as soon as it was going good i would start to fall and think look at all this i am doing for the Lord. He would soon show me who was in control. so just rember this is the Lords work not your's give it to him daily.

[Saint Kevin]

Amen swordguy. We were saved by grace through faith, and even the faith that saved us is a gift from God. We then, cannot claim the glory for ourselves. I agree with you that we must continually give ourselves, our work, and any praise we may receive back to the Lord, who made all things and who rightfully owns all things.

Thank you Simon, for the answer to my question. Regardless of what God might want me to do in this life specifically, I do know that He wants me to seek Him with all my heart, and to rely on Him, and to obey Him. I need to take care of that part of my life regardless, and you have encouraged me to get my focus back on my relationship with Him. Pray for me that I might have the strength to deny myself and to offer myself as a living sacrifice to God daily, for whatever He might have me to do. Pray for me also that I might yield fully to God's calling in every area of my life. Thank you, and God bless you.

[Simon]

Amen and All Glory to God my Brother...
The Lord richly blesses you and prospers you as you give yourself to he day after day.