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The annual Ladies
Conference was held
at Temperance,
Michigan on October
3, 2009.
Sister Kim Isham of
the host church
welcomed the ladies
and President Lois
Centers officially
opened the meeting.
Kim Walden,
Secretary-Treasurer
greeted each one at
the registration
desk.
Sister
Lorinda was opening
speaker followed by
Sister Linda Rose
and Sister Ellanor
Yelverton,
Below is a condensed
version of what
Lorinda shared with the
ladies at the
meeting.
Several ladies from
Lincoln Park church
traveled in the
church van driven by
Karen Jacobs, and we
were very proud of
our pastor's wife.
She did a wonderful
job as she reminded
us that we need to
always be found
faithful and can be
assured that
appropriate rewards
will be waiting for us
if we are faithful
in our service to
the Lord.
Faithfulness
Rewarded
In Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus gave a parable
about a man going on
a journey. As
he left he gave his
servants talents to
be put to good use
while he was away.
To one he gave five
talents, to another
he gave two and to
another he gave one.
They were given
talents according to
their different
abilities (Matthew
25:15). Romans
12:6-8 says that we
are given gifts
according to His
grace. It is
to His choosing what
we are qualified to
do, then as we
perform those
services the Holy
Spirit empowers us
to accomplish each
task.
In 1 Corinthians
12:4-5, Paul writes
that there are
diversities of gifts
and differences of
administrations.
The definition for
the word administer
is "to render a
service." Acts
9:36 tells about a
woman named Dorcas
who sewed coats for
the poor. Acts
16:14-15 tells about
Lydia, a new convert
who showed
hospitality to Paul
and Silas.
Both of these acts
could be considered
rendering a service.
Today the church
depends mostly on
volunteer help.
There are some
churches which can
afford to have paid
staff members, but
in most churches
that is not the
case. There
are services needed
such as teachers,
secretaries and
treasurers, janitors
and leaders.
There are other
works to be done
such as visiting
those who are sick
or in prison.
I remember when I
was a young girl how
the ladies of the
church would gather
at each other's
houses and make
fried pies.
They would start
early in the morning
and work all day.
I remember going
door to door with my
mother to sell them.
All of the ladies
seemed so happy as
they labored to help
the church meet
their financial
needs with their
cooking talent.
There is a song that
says, "Little is
much if God is in
it." Remember,
Jesus said in the
parable, "if we are
faithful over a
few things
He would make us
ruler over many
things."
As I taught this
lesson at the Ladies
conference, I gave
this illustration:
I have a lovely
floral couch in my
living room.
Under the couch
there are six legs
that are holding it
up off the floor;
however, there is a
skirt around the
bottom so the legs
are hidden.
Without these legs
the couch could not
function as it
should. Even
though the legs are
not seen they are
performing an
important service.
They are doing their
job so the couch can
do its job.
It takes all of us
working together so
God's church can
function as it
should, so be
faithful with your
talent. The
man who was left
with only one talent
made excuses as to
why he couldn't
fulfill what he had
been asked to do and
he lost his reward.
Keep in mind always
that we are servants
of our Lord Jesus
Christ and serve in
love.
Everything He did
had LOVE written all
over it; we are to
be imitators of Him.
This will help us to
remain always
faithful, then we
can hear the Lord
say to us, "Well
done, thy good and
faithful servant.
You have been
faithful over a few
things; I will make
you ruler over many.
Enter thou into the
joy of the Lord"
(Matthew 25:21).
Lorinda Lee Grubbs
Email Lorinda
@
October 3, 2009 |
