The Body of Christ: " If your a hand then serve"

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Bud
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The Body of Christ: " If your a hand then serve"

Post by Bud » Thu Sep 05, 2013 5:43 pm

Today, on Sept. 5th, Th. 2p show,

Steve took a call from a man that wanted him to talk about the Christians duty to spread the Gospel. The man felt Christians were not being vocal enough about it. (I'm shortening n' paraphrasing here)

Steve came to a part in the talk where he said that not all Christians had the gifting to preach/evangelize.

I can't retell or remember the all of it but Steve came to a specific part of it that has very special interest to me: he said, "If you're a hand, then serve"

I would like this specific point to be "unpacked" if possible because I think this might be what I'm supposed to be doing. In fact I have believed this for a number of years and have acted accordingly. I'm seeking confirmation.

I am very limited in what I can do physically so I am wrestling with this subject. Any help?

Sincerely,
Bud
Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard [it,] and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. (NASB) :)

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Michelle
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Re: The Body of Christ: " If you're a hand then serve"

Post by Michelle » Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:42 am

Hi Bud,

I'm sad that you haven't had any replies to this post. Tell me, what are you able to do physically? What have you been doing to serve the body of Christ. What would you like to do?

steve7150
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Re: The Body of Christ: " If your a hand then serve"

Post by steve7150 » Sun Sep 22, 2013 12:02 pm

I would like this specific point to be "unpacked" if possible because I think this might be what I'm supposed to be doing. In fact I have believed this for a number of years and have acted accordingly. I'm seeking confirmation.





Hi Bud,

Sorry but i didn't notice your thread before. The only thing that initially strikes me is the Parable of the Talents. Some servants may be more productive then others but the only one God called "wicked" was the fellow who did nothing because he viewed God as a hard Master. I think God called him wicked because he viewed God wrongly but mainly because he did nothing with the "talents" he was in charge of.
Your talent may be your hand so i think God would like you to make the most of whatever asset you have to try and do his will. I think it our intentions that matter not necessarily what we accomplish, blessings Steve

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jriccitelli
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Re: The Body of Christ: " If your a hand then serve"

Post by jriccitelli » Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:04 pm

The scriptures never are critical of the injured or handicapped, rather we are to lend 'them' a hand. I never see God criticize the handicapped, what God does criticize is unbelief. Everyone has a handicap to some extent, some worse, but the most productive help is to find a network of people with a similar difficulty and join or see what they can do to serve God. I think 'works’, building and ‘helps’ ministries are way over rated and endorsed, often too un-relational and un-effective as far as productive eternal results and the Gospel is concerned.

I think being a friend is the most overlooked ministry around (being likable too), so be a friend, honor someone, pray at the table, etc. Michelle took notice, that is being a friend. You have been my friend too Bud.
Thanks Bud.

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Bud
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Re: The Body of Christ: " If your a hand then serve"

Post by Bud » Sun Sep 22, 2013 2:11 pm

Hi Michelle and Steve 7150,

Thanks for your replies.

Michelle replied,
Hi Bud,I'm sad that you haven't had any replies to this post. Tell me, what are you able to do physically? What have you been doing to serve the body of Christ. What would you like to do?
Able to do?
Make limited number of short (varying duration) forays from couch; house work etc, yard work, building maintenance, errands (all of which takes up most of my "up time").

Management of "up time" is critical due to back spasms & increasing pain with diminishing returns.

Body of Christ, What am I doing?
Keeping my rent low (no increases in 9yrs) so I can contribute to the Kindom of God by doing work on the property and being the best kind of tenant I can be.
I am also trying to minister to several immature Christians while trying to allways work on myself first.

What I'd like to do?
So much more. My efforts in "buffetting my body" to increase performance for a one and a half year time period resulted in a crash in overall ability by about a negative 300%. However, empathy for those who I've been placed amongst increased possibly by the same amount, praise God.

Just saw and read your reply JR , Thank you,

Can't work on this more,
God bless
Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard [it,] and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. (NASB) :)

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Michelle
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Re: The Body of Christ: " If you're a hand then serve"

Post by Michelle » Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:15 pm

Bud, it sounds like you're doing a lot for the kingdom already. I wonder why you believe it's not enough. Do you have any idea?

JR:
I think 'works’, building and ‘helps’ ministries are way over rated and endorsed, often too un-relational and un-effective as far as productive eternal results and the Gospel is concerned.
I'm not sure what you mean here. Do you have an example that would illustrate an non-relational and ineffective works, building, or helps ministry?

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Bud
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Re: The Body of Christ: " If your a hand then serve"

Post by Bud » Sun Sep 22, 2013 6:05 pm

Hi Michelle, thank you, you asked if I had any idea why I thought what I was doing was not enough.

A good deal of the time I'm quite content. Then other times I'm painfully aware I caused the difficulties I'm experiencing by sowing bad seed for thirty years before I surrendered to God.

I'm confident He can work it all together for good. I think a certain amount of shame is to be expected. Yet striving forward is what I'm after. I was wondering what all being a hand might entail for someone limited. I'm "working it out with fear and trembling".

JR, I submitted myself to a couple of deliverance ministries, both times they emphasized RSA, both times innocent parties were falsely accused. There was however, I've learned RSA incidents inflicted upon at least one sibling by a babysitter and her boyfriend. Don't remember if I was victimised, one sister says yes, can't ask the other.

Lord Jesus come quickly,
Bud
Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard [it,] and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. (NASB) :)

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Michelle
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Re: The Body of Christ: "If you're a hand then serve"

Post by Michelle » Sun Sep 22, 2013 6:34 pm

Bud, I know you were addressing jriccitelli, but you got me curious; what is RSA?

In my opinion, you're doing what the Lord has led you to do. If He leads you to do more, He'll show you and open the way for you. I think it's too easy to compare ourselves to what others are doing and think that we fall short in comparison. I think you hit just the right note when you said that you know that He will work it all together for good.

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Bud
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Re: The Body of Christ: " If your a hand then serve"

Post by Bud » Sun Sep 22, 2013 7:44 pm

Hi Michelle, you asked,
Bud, I know you were addressing jriccitelli, but you got me curious; what is RSA?
RSA=Ritualised (or some variant) Satanic Abuse

Thank you for your words, I agree with you.
Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard [it,] and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. (NASB) :)

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jriccitelli
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Re: The Body of Christ: " If your a hand then serve"

Post by jriccitelli » Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:03 am

...find a network of people with a similar difficulty and join...
Bud, by this, I did not mean Deliverance ministries at all. Most Deliverance ministries (most all) I would label disturbing, and wrong. I only meant sincere Christians who shared disabilities, and who did things together as friends would do. God can love and use us where we are and at. I hope things are going well with you.
I'm not sure what you mean here. Do you have an example that would illustrate an non-relational and ineffective works, building, or helps ministry? (Michelle)
I think any form of helping someone is 'good' (yet not always productive), God asks us to hear Him and find 'His' will, not just do something, or 'anything'. Too often a church starts a help program or outreach and it serves the community in some purpose, but so does welfare and SSI. The rather impersonal program is not what I see in scripture. My church did the hand out sandwich ministries and highway clean up ministries etc. while people ‘in the Church’ actually had single parent families with great needs, and or worse. Too often I have seen the pastor endorsing drives to get new members, and trying to meet needs of non-members while current members have real needs. Seems like some pastors are just trying to add members (not necessarily making converts) rather than really helping people personally.

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