Philosophy of Ministry Part II

I was first introduced to a Charismatic church when I was in college when a friend tagged me along to one of their prayer meetings. The community at large was composed of elite people – popular models and actors. Then I went to attend a few El Shaddai’s prayer meetings at the parks. I was baptized again by the Holy Spirit when I joined Singles For Christ in 2004. I became a household leader just after four months of joining and asked to ran in control a Christian Life Program (CLP). My short stint there was awesome and such a memorable experience! Though I had to leave after a year because of His Message, "It is done, you can go now..." My passion towards His Divine Mercy has become a fire that burns unceasingly. In 2006, God started the process of joining families together with the same passion in music. The Ocean of Mercy Music Ministry(OOM), inspired by the message of His Divine Mercy, was born. OOM provides music to all charismatic events and conferences in the whole Archdiocese of Newark, NJ. My husband acted as the Musical Director until…2009… when our family felt a calling to fulfill a bigger purpose; called to a new beginning, new direction, new miracle and new life. This new ministry will be the focus of our family’s journey here on earth.

Now Paul is exactly right here; in his perspective, he sees himself as “an earthen vessel.” What he accepted in his ministry is that he possessed it as an earthen vessel. The Lord Jesus said of Paul after the Damascus road experience, "He is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles” (Acts 9.15). And so it is with all of us; we are earthen and always should be in our own estimation. But we must balance that out with the reality that, to God, we are chosen vessels.

Do you suppose, then, that perhaps we should be careful about whining and complaining to God (and others) because we seem to be shy of some of gifts and talents others possess since He Himself has both made us AND chosen us?!

As Warren Wiersbe notes:

The important thing about a vessel is that it be clean, empty, and available for service. Each of us must seek to become “a vessel unto honor, sanctified [set apart], and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21).

We are vessels so that God might use us. We are earthen vessels so that we might depend on God’s power and not our own.As participants in the Body of Christ, we should focus on the treasure and not on the vessel, and we must also focus on the Master and not on the servant. If we suffer, it is for Jesus’ sake. If we die to self, it is so that the life of Christ might be revealed in us. If we go through trials, it is so that Christ might be glorified. And all of this is for the sake of others. As we serve Christ, death works in us—but life works in those to whom we minister.

But because he possessed it in an earthen vessel, he remembered this important truth: He could disgrace (or discredit) it; there were two ways he could do this.

• He could adulterate the Word of God, literally, handle it with distortion so as to cause to be false for personal gain or convenience, or subtlety. He spoke of “peddling” the Word, and he was referring to being a huckster or, in other words, a false teacher with wrong motives.

• He could cause others to stumble by giving offense.


What he acknowledged about his ministry:
 His adequacy was from God
 The surpassing greatness of the power is from God
 It is as though God Himself “were making an appeal through us”
 It is a fact that we are “working together with Him”
 It is suffering makes the treasure spill onto others

What he anticipated about his ministry:
 Some successes
 He had faith, so he spoke
 He had mercy, so he pressed on
 He had hope, so he did not quit
 Some suffering
 Some day:

An accounting:
 He possessed his ministry always in the light of his mortality
 He possessed his ministry always in the awareness of God’s watchful eye being upon him (5.11; we are made manifest to God)
 He possessed his ministry always in the light of his stewardship (This kept him from becoming a quitter
 This kept him from laziness or unpreparedness
 This kept him from self-promotion
 At home with the Lord; it’ll all be over

...to be concluded..