Everyday Joe Ministry

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend some time in Tennessee. I was graduating from the Ministers Intern program in Cleveland TN. It is where the ceremony was held. I was blessed that my Mom and Dad was able to go with me. My wife, although it was her graduation also had to work and couldn’t go. My Pastor Bro. Abee also went along to support me.

After the Ceremony Mom, Dad, and I was able to stay for a few more days. I had never seen much of Tennessee and thought it would be a great opportunity to look around, and we did. We went to Chattanooga and to Lookout Mountain then up to Nashville and several points in-between. We stayed mostly off the big highways and saw the beautiful countryside. In Nashville we stopped at a Museum of the old Marathon Auto Plant. (see picture above). It was great and my Dad really enjoyed looking at all the old machinery and I did to. I thing Mom even liked it. Maybe not as much as Dad and I. Dad was telling me all about how he use to run a steam powered machine just like the one pictured. It was hard work but now all the hard work was worth it. Looking back he says it is fond memories of the days gone by and good times.

Ephesians 2:10 says – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we walk in them.

God worked to make this earth and all that is in it, including you and I. We are His workmanship. Seems that there is always work involved somewhere.

Now I know that we are saved by grace. All you have to do is read the verse right in front of this one. But I want to remind us that we are not saved to sit back now and do nothing. Nowhere in the word of God does it say, “you’re saved so do nothing”. Instead everywhere in the Bible that God GAVE salvation, it was to call them to a work he wanted done. We are called out to be His warriors, His front line and His voice to a lost and dyeing world. He could have chosen another way. He don’t really need us. But He loves us and He wants us to be a part of His family, a part of Him. I thing that if God cares that much for me, after all He sent His Son to do the WORK of Salvation for me because I couldn’t and then turned around and gave it to me FREE of CHARGE. The vary least that I can do is work for Him. And better still Jesus said “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. That means the Work that I do for Him, He is going to help me do. He makes sure that whatever the Job is I can do it. But we Must work for Him. We live by Faith, but Faith without works is dead. Don’t try to convince me that 20 something years ago you received the gift of salvation, and since then you have done nothing for the Kingdom of God, I don’t believe you. If you knew the Savior Jesus Christ like I do, you would want to be about the Fathers Business. It can be a lot of hard work. You’ll get bumps and bruises and you probably will get a few calluses. But when you look back you will say “It is fond memories of the days gone by and what great times with my Lord I’ve had”. Always remember what a friend of mine says “The retirement plan is OUT OF THIS WORLD”.