An Effectual Ministry
“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” Luke 9:1-2 (ESV)
I have probably read this passage of scripture 20 plus times over the last 20 years. It is at the beginning of the chapter that gives us a biblical and historical account of the feeding of what the Word says was “about five thousand men” with five loaves of bread and two fish. A few days ago, while spending time with God, I had some time to look closer at those two verses. It was with a clearer understanding that I saw it with fresh eyes. It has always read to me like, I woke up, I prayed, I brushed my teeth. However, a few days ago it read differently. It read like this; I enrolled in college, I attended classes and I graduated. The first twenty plus times the scriptures read as if they happened boom, boom, boom!
Jesus CALLED the 12. He chose them and gathered them together.
Then He gave them power and authority-He EQUIPPED them.
Then He SENT them out on assignment.
That was a process. I of course cannot speak to everyone’s experience, but I know this has been my experience. In 2005, God CALLED me into a closer relationship with Him that included intensive study and communion. Then, over the next fifteen years, He dealt with me in a way that I can now clearly see was EQUIPPING me for what was to come next. Now, He has SENT me to do the very things He called and equipped me to do.
Over the course of a few teachings (beginning with the blog that follows this one), I will surely go into some of the small details of what I now know to be my equipping phase.
Where are you in your journey?
We have all been given treasures that are to be used for kingdom building. We have all been purposed with something or somethings. Where are you in your journey? Have you heard the call from God? Have you received a prompting in your own spirit to come closer to Him? If that is where you are in your journey, oh what an exciting time for you! Those days you find yourself talking to God even in your sleep. Those days you hurry home from work or school, just so that you can dive into the Word of God. Those mornings you go straight from getting out the bed, to falling down on your knees into prayer. The calling phase of your journey is the most peaceful time of the journey…at least it was for me.
Ugh! -BUT then came the equipping phase. Lord, that was a time for me. I found some lessons to be more uncomfortable than others. Yes, there were more good days than bad, but boy oh boy -I was uncomfortable. If you don’t exactly know where you are in your journey-let me help you; if you find yourself a tad bit uncomfortable, you are being equipped for the very thing you were called to do. BUT, please don’t be discouraged, I assure you that God has not forsaken you. There is a blessing in that phase of the journey. In fact, my biggest blessings thus far have come about because of THAT phase of my journey.
I have some good news and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first?
Oh, ok-here is the good news. After that phase of the journey, you get to walk eloquently into your purpose. The bad news is that we are continually being equipped. We are never at the point in our journey where we know everything we need to know. He equips us but then He continually equips us. Let me say that again…He EQUIPS us, then He continually EQUIPS us.
Praise God! I promise you that I love it! I love the feeling I get when I know that this too is a lesson. I love learning, and the fact that you are reading this means that you love learning too!
Girl, you are so ready for this!
We are called and equipped for the purpose of kingdom building. We are tasked with living our lives in such a way that people are drawn to the light that is within us. That light that comes from Christ Jesus.
Now, I was trying to save this part for last. The SENT part is not always the fun you might think it should be. There will be times when you find yourself like Jonah. Jonah did not end up in the belly of a large fish because he had read the reviews on Yelp. In Jonah 1:2, The Lord told Jonah, “go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (NIV).
Jonah was not interested!
There are times when we will find ourselves empathetic towards Jonah. “Lord, why would you send me to do this?” “Lord, you know how these people are and they are not gonna want to hear all that.” But I promise you this - there is a blessing in obedience and there is joy in this journey of faith.
First the call, then the equipping, then the work. In doing this, we will have an effectual ministry-one that does exactly what it was purposed to do.
Amen.
