“For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share, and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.” John 1:16 AMPC

We often hear it said, “You can’t give away what you have not received.” This is a hallmark in ministry circles, as we find “authenticity” as a vital place of empowerment to be a vessel of the life, love, and power of the Spirit of God to impact a life now and for eternity. It is also common to find that we most often are “called” into ministry service and support roles that require us to function in areas of our weakness rather than our strengths. It is here that we find the invitation out of necessity to first RECEIVE: humble ourselves, find Him as our Source, and abide in total dependence for Him to do what only He can do, in and through us as broken vessels. We must receive, as breath itself, all that He offers us for life and godliness in Christ to then be able to GIVE that which will bear healthy fruit in the Spirit. This is a place to BE AUTHENTIC as we ourselves receive the living person of Christ as OUR LIFE.

2 Peter 1:3, Acts 17:27-28 “…In Him we live and move and have our very being.”

Though we often find ourselves in places that look and feel like “wrong places,” with ill-equipped people, insufficient resources, and impossible challenges, it is right there that we see and experience most clearly, the One True God – The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit: Alive, most personal, engaged, faithful and completely sufficient to do what He has called us to do…through us (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

If it truly is His design and purpose to be most glorified in living in and through His precious creation, might we actually be in a “RIGHT PLACE”, even in our weakness, brokenness, and baggage. Might each of us be rightly and uniquely established to be a blessing now as we join with other parts of the Body, sojourners on the same path, to be a living breathing expression of Christ to each other and every man, woman, boy, or girl that He brings into our lives.

This is our “calling” to live and minister from our true identity in Christ as sons and daughters of the Living God. We have been invited into this great Grace, to RECEIVE the gift of “Rightness” and the Abundance of Grace, in every area of our lives (Romans 5:17). From that stable foundation and “lifestyle,” we live FROM Him and all of life’s margins will be shepherded in a daily walk of dependence, confidently secure in our GOOD GOOD Father (Philippians 2:13).

Having FULLY RECEIVED, we can now FREELY GIVE from a “right” place of the FULLNESS that is only found in Him!

Now, the abundance of Grace will further be expressed as we find our unique places in the gift of the Body of Christ, as we see in Acts 2. This is where all needs are met, and fulfillment abounds, even in and through one another. “A beautiful community where our strengths and weaknesses are woven together in a masterful way by The Father, creating wholeness in the Body through healthy connections and relationships for healing and provision.”

May we all find great joy as we receive the great gift of Christ and give abundantly out of His absolute sufficiency by Grace!

“But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities, and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).” 2 Cor. 12:9-10 AMPC