One of the many things that Jim and I love about Morningside is the people that work, volunteer and study at this ministry! From 18 to 80, the talent and creativity absolutely fill this place up! No job is more important than the other because it takes each and every person to keep this ministry going. We get so excited when one of our staff or students find that special gift, blessed by God, and is able to glorify Him while excelling at their job. Sometimes people will begin in one department but move to various areas of the ministry to find their right fit. One thing is for certain, when you put Him in your heart as you go about your work, He will bless your efforts and will reveal your calling!
Ephesians 2:10 NIV For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Easter Sunday, 1989 was the beginning of my journey into the ministry. That was the day that I asked the Lord to come into my heart, to forgive me of my sins and give me a new life. It was also when I came to realize that the moment we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, we become a part of a ministry; HIS ministry. I didn’t know what my gifts were yet. I only knew that I loved Jesus and that He had changed me and I was going to work for Him!
I tell my girls all the time that when I got involved at Phoenix First I had little tentacles of ministries going all the time. There were over 200 outreaches in that church and I just kept saying yes! This helped me to find my strengths and my weaknesses. I loved all of my work with the community. The Lord worked in me and let me see that I was ministering to others just by being there. I just got involved! Yes, there were times that were very difficult. I would be in situations or be doing something I had no idea how to do, but God created me and He gave me courage and conviction. Through each life that I helped Jesus to touch, the more I became aware of the amazing calling on my life.
You too are in a Ministry. God has given you something special and all you have to do is show His love by getting out there! If you don’t know what your gifts are just take one step and get involved and I promise you will find out! It can be as big as working at your home church as a leader, working at an outreach or food bank or even as simple as baking cookies and visiting with a lonely neighbor. The possibilities are endless! Celebrate Jesus in your heart as you practice your ministry every single day! Never forget that in everything we say or do, we are ambassadors for God! He can and will use you because He does know how special you are! And we do too!
Just get out there! You will be so blessed when you do!
Love,
Matthew 5:16 NCV In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven
Dear Lori,
You are so correct that we each have special gifts, which should not remain hidden. Almost everyone has been hurt in some way by others, some by family members, and some in church settings. I am one of those folks, who felt rejected, and have not returned to a local church family in many years. However, I know that God doesn’t want those hurts to stop us from continuing to serve Him.
I want you to know that the acceptance I have felt at Morningside, after visiting in person many times, has given me the courage to seek a local church again. I want to show my courage in The Lord, in order to use my gifts as a classical violinist. The Morningside Family, are just such loving ambassadors! From “Christ loving- people loving” Rev. Lloyd Ziegler, the extremely talented and humble gentleman who is Kevin Shorey, your lovely and smiling daughters Claire and Maricela, the beautiful heart of Tammy Sue,
the talented and humble Morningside Band, the beautiful ladies in the Partner Shop and the Fireside Cafe, your dear sweet brother Mark, “always willing to say hello” Mondo, “unafraid of the truth” Zach, Sacha, dear “honey voiced” Harmony, Caleb, Olivia’s grandpa Mr. Kreibel on the camera, to the” loving servant of the ministry” Jillian, all are loving enough to meet and speak with those of us who have come so far to support this ministry! I will miss not being there at the Expo next week. I had already made an 800mile visit for my birthday in February and missed seeing Jason Crabbe, which was no matter. I was privileged to hear Kevin and Tammy Sue record music videos! So, I’ll have to miss this visit with all of you wonderful people! Please thank all of the Morningside Family for loving the body of Christ in such a real manner!! Thank you, thank you!!
Lori, I agree with much of your post, but unfortunately too many christians never seek out their gifts. A careful study of the Word and we can know the gifts available to all christians and everyone of us has at least one. I must add this though, you use “calling” and “gifts”as if they are the same. A calling can be enhanced by one’s gifts but it is still separate and apart. Gifts, we ask and even search out of God, to find a place of service. The calling is so much different, it is God’s call upon a person’s life for service above and beyond the normal christian service. Gifts are called gifts because that is exactly how they come. A calling is God telling someone this is what I want you to do. We might fight or even run from a calling but we will never know real joy in our life until we surrender. In fact if we don’t surrender to this calling we will be miserable. Those christians that never claim their gifts can still be as happy as others, just not as useful to the Lord’s work.
Lori, I admire and appreciate you so much. You certainly have been a blessing to me thru TV and your book. I am praying and so hopeful that I get to meet you sometime in the next 2 weeks while we visit Morningside and investigate moving there. And your blog today about ministry is a blessing – a good reminder. Thanks. Love and prayers to and for you.
Lori, thank you so much for sharing your heart and for giving encouragement. I watch you and Jim all the time, and love you all at Morningside! I live in Illinois, but have been to Branson several times. If and when I visit Branson again, I would love to come to a taping of The Jim Bakker Show. A little about me: I am a Christian, having been saved at 18 (I am 50). When I was 26, I married a wonderful Christian man. He had a rare genetic blood disease, Cyclic Neutropenia, which, 8 years into our marriage, led to another rare blood disease, Henoch-Schonlein Purpura, and he became the only person in the world with both diseases combined. I became his full time caregiver. In 2007, we found out that he had Myelodysplastic Syndrome, blood cancer. He had a stem cell transplant in 2008, which gave him a year and a half longer life, but the stem cells began rejecting soon after the transplant (Graft Vs. Host Disease), and he died on October 31, 2009 at the age of 43. We had no children. In 2008, at his encouragement, I went back to college to be trained to become a music therapist. I had played the piano since I was 5 years old, and wrote songs, have been a church pianist, and played for many occasions through the years. I had also been a caregiver for most of my life (before him, I took care of my parents and grandmother). I finished my degree and training in 2013. In 2012, my Mother was diagnosed with COPD, and I became her full time caregiver until her passing in July 2014. I have been in such deep grieving for the last 7 months, actually longer. My husband and my Mom were my life, and were my best friends, and staunchest supporters. I feel alone. I have taken the Board for music therapy 3 times in the last two years, and have come close to a passing score each time, (6 and 8 points away), but have yet to pass the Board. I am re-taking it in April of this year, close to what would have been my Mother’s 90th birthday. My dream is to have my own business taking music to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. However, I have had such major depression and anxiety because I have never had to support myself financially all by myself. I am so scared I can’t do it, that I am not capable of doing it. I have taken care of everyone else in my life, and can’t seem to be able to know the first thing about taking care of myself. My worst fear is that I won’t be able to financially take care of myself and I will lose my home. I live across the street from where I grew up, where my Mom still lived, which I was blessed to do, so I could be there to take care of her. This home is where my husband and I were the happiest. My childhood and my adult life are all here. I have major student loan debt, which I had to take in order to earn my degree. I also have credit card debt, because of medical bills, largely, as I have developed a stress disease called Chronic Inflammatory Ulcerative Colitis since my Mom’s passing. I say all of this to say that I am listening to God, and wanting His direction for my life…wanting to fulfill His calling, which I believe is taking care of others through music. Please pray that I can get the courage up to go “sell myself.” I have no idea how to do that. Thank you again for yours and Jim’s testimonies to God’s love! In Christ, Betsy Arnold