March 28, 2008
As I was outside in the backyard with
Masada the other evening, I could hear a non stop peep-peep-peep. The sound
carried a long way and I walked around the yard before I discovered the source.
There are already baby birds in some
nests and they are hungry wanting to be fed. Soon they will be taught how to be
independent. One of the "babies" was kicking up quite the fuss as its
parent hopped around the backyard looking for food.
The young one still hadn't caught on that
in time it would be flying and feeding on its own.
The peep-peep-peep of "feed me, feed
me" is a sound that often resonates from the church pew. Yet there is so
much more to the Christian walk than being ministered to. Like the little birds,
we gain much more when we grow up a little. We're called to minister as well as
be ministered to.
On the last and greatest
day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is
thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture
has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he
meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to
that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
John 7:37-39 NIV
Christ will meet our needs, but when we
know Him, we're filled with the Spirit. The Spirit is given to us to teach us,
but also to equip us for ministry. We should begin to bear fruit once we've been
Spirit filled.
But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who
belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and
desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 NIV
The fruit of the Spirit manifests itself
in our life and ripens in our ministry.
Are you sitting in the church on Sunday
morning going peep-peep-peep or are you having your needs met AND ministering to
others?
Are you learning to fish or waiting for
someone else to feed you?
Until next time, may you learn to fish.
Be
blessed
You
can give a man a fish and fed him for one meal or you can teach him how to fish
and feed him and others for a life time!
Time
to get the bottle out of the whiskers and
get to the meat of your walk with Christ!
Darrel
Mason