December 13, 2024 MINISTERING TO THE LORD
Acts 13:2 “And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
Reading this verse is like looking through a key hole, getting a glimpse of early church life. We see the dynamic working of the church; the believers ministering to the Lord and fasting, and the Spirit speaking to them. The part that catches my attention is that they were ‘ministering to the Lord.’ We normally think of ministry as being ministry to other people. Evidently, there is also a way for us to minister to the Lord and obviously it’s important to do so. As I understand it, we minister to the Lord by worshiping Him, praising Him, praying to Him, giving Him honor, and doing things that please Him. To minister to the Lord means we acknowledge Him for who He is; He is Lord and He rules over all. Ministering to the Lord includes specific times when we praise Him and worship Him, BUT is also to be a way of life for us. Even as we work and go about our daily task and routines, we can do those things in a way that is pleasing to Him-doing all we do as unto Him. I have a strong suspicion that by ministering to the Lord and fasting, we will hear Him speaking to us. This passage is refreshingly simple, and to the point; there are no ‘deep truths’ we must uncover to get the message. We cannot minister to the Lord by just going through the motions; it’s a matter of our heart. God looks at our hearts. We can minister to the Lord only when our hearts are fully turned to Him and when He is our greatest desire. Finally, our worship must be based on truth; and truth is found in God’s word; our worship must be based on who God says He is, and not on who we say He is.
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Psalm 95:6 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let is kneel before the Lord our Maker.”
Blessings, Buddy
Acts 13:2 “And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
Reading this verse is like looking through a key hole, getting a glimpse of early church life. We see the dynamic working of the church; the believers ministering to the Lord and fasting, and the Spirit speaking to them. The part that catches my attention is that they were ‘ministering to the Lord.’ We normally think of ministry as being ministry to other people. Evidently, there is also a way for us to minister to the Lord and obviously it’s important to do so. As I understand it, we minister to the Lord by worshiping Him, praising Him, praying to Him, giving Him honor, and doing things that please Him. To minister to the Lord means we acknowledge Him for who He is; He is Lord and He rules over all. Ministering to the Lord includes specific times when we praise Him and worship Him, BUT is also to be a way of life for us. Even as we work and go about our daily task and routines, we can do those things in a way that is pleasing to Him-doing all we do as unto Him. I have a strong suspicion that by ministering to the Lord and fasting, we will hear Him speaking to us. This passage is refreshingly simple, and to the point; there are no ‘deep truths’ we must uncover to get the message. We cannot minister to the Lord by just going through the motions; it’s a matter of our heart. God looks at our hearts. We can minister to the Lord only when our hearts are fully turned to Him and when He is our greatest desire. Finally, our worship must be based on truth; and truth is found in God’s word; our worship must be based on who God says He is, and not on who we say He is.
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Psalm 95:6 “Come, let us bow down in worship, let is kneel before the Lord our Maker.”
Blessings, Buddy
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