We can’t give away what we don’t possess.

“Our greatest ministry is the presence we bring to others from

having been with Jesus.”

Since all of us are theologically and practically ‘in the ministry’ we could all learn an important lesson from this statement. Whether we teach school, fix cars, work in IT, are retired or take a salary from work within the church, we are to do what we do as unto the Lord. That is our calling.

Because some of us are paid for the ministry we provide doesn’t make our contribution to the Kingdom more valuable than those who aren’t paid for what they do for God.

My great joy through the years involved being with people, in church, at the hospital, during births, marriages and deaths. It meant being around people in crisis and celebration. Yet me being with them doesn’t really help them unless I bring the presence of God into the encounter.

People can tell if I am walking into their situation from seminary or from God’s presence. They know if I’ve just left the library or I’ve just left Jesus. I must carry that Presence into ministry!

We can’t sell a relationship to others that we haven’t built ourselves. Two quick questions:

1. Are we transferring a message we’ve heard or an experience we’ve had.
2. Where do you go and what do you do to get into the presence of God?

Sometimes even our religious activities and schedules keep us from seeking his presence. We’ve become addicted to distractions. Quiet times of meditation on God’s Word are easily sidestepped. And even if God attempts to reveal his presence to us … to personally equip us for stepping into someone’s life with the life and words of Jesus, his voice often can’t compete with our culture’s noise.

God chooses not to holler over the noise we allow into our lives.

This week, may your testimony and ministry have the power and potential of having come directly from being in the presence of the Father.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived

that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.

And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 ESV