Paul Email -9Dec2013- Competent Ministers

How you doin? Stacey's a Saint. She has more servant hood in her little finger then I have in my entire body. I've been asking for prayer for me, but today please pray for her (and the kids). Stacey has been dealing with 3 very needy people for the past 3 days and heading into the 4th. My post-op Dr.'s appointment isn't until Weds. It's then I will get my walking boot. My pain is still way more then I had thought it was going to be. 2 Corinthians 3 today.

This is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. Reading this chapter with Exodus 33 & 34 is mind changing. I've written about verses 12-18 several times. Verses 17-18 are 2 of my favorite verses in the Bible. I love the concept of "The Glory of the New Covenant" as it is titled in my Bible.

I've read this chapter so many times and have received the same revelation about the new glory of God. Today, I asked God to reveal something new to me. Verses 4-6, "Such confidence we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶ He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." This falls into the category of identity. I'm not sure that I receive this promise very well. I don't always see myself as a competent minister. I still struggle with the "letter" (of the law) interfering with my ability to minister the new covenant (grace). I am still so very sin conscious. Jesus, please break this off of me... in Jesus' name. God makes me competent to minister the new covenant or the Spirit. A.A. says that you can't give something you haven't received. So I need to receive this free gift of grace. COME ON!!!!!!! More then that I need to receive the competence that comes from God. SO GOOD!!!!!!!

I strongly urge you to read these 18 verses over and over again. I believe that the demonic spirit of religion keeps the "letter" (of the law), which kills, in the theology and teaching in our church system just enough to prevent us from being competent ministers of the new covenant or the Spirit that gives life. Be a competent minister of the Spirit today.