Psalm 73:23-26,28

Yet I am always with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into your glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you,
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart & my portion forever.
But as for me, it is good to be near God,
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

THe Heart of Servanthood (II) (23/10/06)

Matthew 25:21-29
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. COme and share your master's happines!'.... For everyone who has will be given more. and he will have an abundance.

John 15:15,16
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from the Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

Philipians 2:5-11

Jesus is and should be our role model in our lives as stated in Philipians 2:5-11, how he showed the heart of servanthood in the days of his life on earth, as a man. He willingly laid down his status as Lord and Master, to love nad serve his own creation (men) and he was even willing to lay down his lives to be the "sacrifice" of lamb on the 'altar', to conquer sin and death, and to gain victory, freedom and access to God, for men. "Therefore GOd exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name..." (Phil 2:9)
Through these passages, GOd also showed me that the heart of servanthood is also a way to gain favour, blessings, and it helps us to enlarge our capacity to receive the great future "harvest".
In addition to the call of serving the community with a heart of servanthood. GOd also showed me that as we serve like Jesus, we will be God's friend. He chose us to be His friend and helps us to enlarge our capacity for the harvest and to bear fruits, as we serve others.

I went for choir practice today and we had a session to honour one of our best and faithful drummer in the church band. Even as Ps Ollie shared words of encouragement. God put Matthew 25:21-29 into my heart - "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.... For everyone who has will be given more and he will have an abundance!"

Are you serving the Lord wholeheartedly today?

The Heart of Servanthood (I) (23/10/06)

Matthew 20:26-28
Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

1 Peter 4:10,11
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, FAITHFULLY ADMINISTERING GOD'S GRACE in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ

Philipians 2:5-11
Your attitude (mind) should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, TAKING THE VERY NATURE OF A SERVANT, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place & gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven & on earth & under the earth, & every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

John 13:1-17 (emphasis on v. 14,15,17)
Jesus washing the feet of the disciples
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus set an example of servanthood to us and He also showed us the power of serving. We are commanded to serve others with the gift that God has given us, so that we could administer/show God's grace and love to others (esp those who does not believe in God), and that in all things God may be praised.
God also showed me this one thing that when we serve, we can use the time to pray for the person so that God's saving grace may speak into the people whom we serve. This is truly a great and profound revelation to me of such powerful principle in serving others.

Have you discovered your God-given gifts?

Are you willing to serve as Jesus did?