Friday 17 January 2014

Ministry / Minister

This morning, I had a dream. As I was walking in this Apartment building, someone from Peace Haven Ministry came out to greet and welcome me. I recalled about my wish to be involved, sometime ago in church.  She said she got my contact from a mutual friend, Calvin, and I immediately recalled his face and name. Yes, I knew him. In this apartment unit, there were 2 main activity rooms. There were people in both rooms, including children and teenagers. They were undergoing an advanced level of physiotherapy, dancing (which looked slightly like line dancing but with less skill, and rather haphazardly) to tune of music. I heard something about Vietnamese. But not too sure whether she was saying some of the patients were Vietnamese or the baby/family I met earlier in another neighbouring apartment unit were Vietnamese.
When I woke up from the dream, I was sleeping on a mattress in a L-shapred bedroom. There were windows on my right. The walls of the bedroom was bluish green or greenish blue; the color was rich, the color was not light, the color was a dark shade of cyan.
Suddenly, I heard a faint call from my wife, and another faint call from my son. I tried to reply loudly but I found difficulty to increase my voice volume. I found my body to be stiff. I tried to reply louder a second time. I immediately woke up from the dream.

Question:
1)  I normally forget my dream when I wake up. Why do I remember this dream so vividly?
2)  Keywords from this dream:  Peace Haven Ministry, ministry, Vietnamese, physiotherapy, music-assisted dancing, music and dancing oriented physiotherapy, children/teenagers. Does this dream carry any meaning or significance?
3)  I have no skills related to music, dancing, or physiotherapy. How could I ever contribute?
4)  I don't know Vietnamese language. I have never been to Vietnam. I don't know any Vietnamese friend on personal basis. How could I be anyway linked to Vietnamese?

Anyway, I decided to read up on the keyword "ministry."

In humility, I am a very ordinary believer, with only fundamental knowledge of the word, with just a small faith, not an exemplary believer.  God can't be calling me...  Right? Correct?

Anyway, my Church is organizing a Leadership training for this Friday (today) until Sunday. I am attending for gaining some supplementary Knowledge, not that I have any intention on leadership. I prefer to be a silent, quiet follower. That's me, a low profile guy.
Baker's Definition


Ministry, Minister
It is reasonably clear in Scripture that (1) ministry means the service of God and his creatures; (2) the one essential ministry is that of Jesus Christ; (3) the whole membership of the old and the new Israel is called to share in ministerial service, of which there are many forms; and (4) certain persons in both the old new Israel are set apart for special ministry, within the total ministry.

The Old Testament. There are three distinct ministries in the Old Testament: the prophetic, the priestly, and the kingly. All three are essential within the covenantal relation between Yahweh and Israel.
The New Testament. Each of these ministries comes to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is himself the Prophet, Priest, and King.
By three basic words doulos [dou'lo"], leitourgos [leitourgov"], diakonos [diavkono"]the call to serve God in Christ is made clear.

Ministries in the Church. The ways of serving the Lord in his church are many and varied. These types overlap and members of the body will partake of more than one type. There is ministry of the Word in evangelism, founding and guiding churches (apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, etc.); ministry of healing (workers of miracles, gifts of healing, etc.); ministry of leadership/administration (helpers, administrators, etc.); and ministry to the congregation (tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc.).

Summary. Whether in the Old or New Testaments, ministry finds its meaning and expression in Jesus Christ. He is the Minister par excellence and the only source of ministry. The Old Testament looks forward to him while the New Testament looks both back, up, and forward to him. In relation to Christ every member of Israel or the church has a ministry of serving the Lord by proclaiming the Word of God by word and deed both inside and outside the people of God. In this sense all are royal priests. Further, in relation to Christ there are specific or particular forms of ministry within and for the sake of the church in its mission for God in his world. These are given only to a few and they include the callings of prophet, priest, and king in the Old Covenant and apostle, evangelist, presbyter, and deacon in the New Covenant. Though not a strictly biblical expression "ordained ministry" refers to persons who have received a gift of the Spirit and have been appointed by the church, through prayer and the laying on of hands, to specific offices within the church.

Source: http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/ministry-minister.html

Easton's Definition


Minister [S]
one who serves, as distinguished from the master.






  • Heb. meshereth, applied to an attendant on one of superior rank, as to Joshua, the servant of Moses ( Exodus 33:11 ), and to the servant of Elisha ( 2 Kings 4:43 ). This name is also given to attendants at court ( 2 Chronicles 22:8 ), and to the priests and Levites ( Jeremiah 33:21 ; Ezekiel 44:11 ).
  • Heb. pelah ( Ezra 7:24 ), a "minister" of religion. Here used of that class of sanctuary servants called "Solomon's servants" in Ezra 2:55-58 and Nehemiah 7:57-60 .
  • Greek leitourgos, a subordinate public administrator, and in this sense applied to magistrates (Romans 13:6 ). It is applied also to our Lord ( Hebrews 8:2 ), and to Paul in relation to Christ (Romans 15:16 ).
  • Greek hyperetes (literally, "under-rower"), a personal attendant on a superior, thus of the person who waited on the officiating priest in the synagogue ( Luke 4:20 ). It is applied also to John Mark, the attendant on Paul and Barnabas ( Acts 13:5 ).
  • Greek diaconos, usually a subordinate officer or assistant employed in relation to the ministry of the gospel, as to Paul and Apollos ( 1 Corinthians 3:5 ), Tychicus ( Ephesians 6:21 ), Epaphras (Colossians 1:7 ), Timothy ( 1 Thessalonians 3:2 ), and also to Christ ( Romans 15:8 )

    Source: http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/eastons-bible-dictionary/minister.html 

  • King James' Definition








  • Minister
    Servants.
    Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but MINISTERS by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ( 1 Corinthians 1:1Psalm 3:5-6 )
    Source: http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/king-james-dictionary/minister.html

    Smith's Definition


    Minister. [E]
    This term is used in the Authorized Version to describe various officials of a religious and civil character. Its meaning, as distinguished from servant, is a voluntary attendant on another. In the Old Testament it is applied (1) to an attendance upon a person of high rank, ( Exodus 24:13 ; Joshua 1:1 ; 2 Kings 4:43 ) (2) to the attaches of a royal court, ( 1 Kings 10:5 ; 2 Chronicles 22:8 ) comp. Psal 104:4 (3) to the priests and Levites. ( Ezra 8:17 ; Nehemiah 10:36 ; Isaiah 61:6 ; Ezekiel 44:11; Joel 1:9 Joel 1:13 ) One term in the New Testament betokens a subordinate public administrator, (Romans 13:6 ; 15:16 ; Hebrews 8:2 ) one who performs certain gratuitous public services. A second term contains the idea of actual and personal attendance upon a superior, as in ( Luke 4:20) The ministers duty was to open and close the building, to produce and replace the books employed in the service, and generally to wait on the officiating priest or teacher. A third term, diakonos (from which comes our word deacon), is the one usually employed in relation to the ministry of the gospel: its application is twofold, --in a general sense to indicate ministers of any order, whether superior or inferior, and in a special sense to indicate an order of inferiors ministers. [DEACON] [E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary

    Source: http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/smiths-bible-dictionary/minister.html 


    • Nave's Topical Bible


    Minister, christian 

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