“The True North Life” Episode 3: “True Ministry.”
True Ministry Part One
Welcome to The True North Life Broadcast—where faith is strengthened, purpose is ignited, and believers are empowered to thrive in their walk with Christ!
Welcome to The True North Life Broadcast! I’m Freddie Hernandez—sending big hugs to each of you, wherever you’re tuning in from. In today’s episode, I’m opening my heart about ministry and inviting you to join me on this transformative journey. Get ready to dive deep into God’s Word for your spiritual growth—grab your Bibles, notebooks, and prepare to be blessed! And Lord, we ask You to ignite every heart, soul, mind, and spirit with an unquenchable hunger for Your everlasting Word. In Jesus' mighty name, our Lord and Savior – AMEN!!AMEN!! and AMEN!!
Let's get started!
Matthew 22:37:
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
In this passage, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, revealing three profound truths—each demanding a lifestyle of total commitment, often at the highest cost: loving Christ, loving you, and understanding that to truly love you, I must first walk in the love God has for me. Why? Because on these two commands—love for God and love for others—rests the entire foundation of the Law and the Prophets.
This is the very foundation of ministry—the redemption Christ provided is the ultimate gift of eternal salvation. Nothing we do can ever earn it; it was freely given to all nations because of God’s relentless love for His creation. Yet, from the very beginning, mankind has struggled to walk in obedience, failing to honor the very life God breathed into us—that’s why it’s called original sin. Adam didn’t just drop the ball; he took a bite and set humanity on a course that took thousands of years to fix. Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of lentils, Samson surrendered his strength for a moment with Delilah, David for Bathsheba, Solomon for thousands of wives—the pattern repeats, time and time again. But through Christ, redemption broke the cycle once and for all!
It was love that moved God to breathe life into that pile of dust, gifting humanity with existence itself. But the fall shattered that perfect beginning, leading to their exile from Eden. And here’s somethingprofound—God didn’t send Adam and Eve out covered in fig leaves; He clothed them in animal skin.
That means a sacrifice had to be made—blood had to be shed—for them to be properly covered for the painful journey ahead. A life of labor, toil, and childbirth now awaited them.
Then we see Abel bringing a lamb—foreshadowing Christ, the Lamb of God—as his offering, while Cain brought fruit. And what happened? Abel became the first human life taken. A sacrifice, a covering, and a foreshadowing of redemption… hmmm, that’s something to think about.
When God made His covenant with Abraham, He intended for Abraham to walk through the center of the split sacrifices. But knowing Abraham couldn’t keep it, God walked that covenant Himself—just as Christ did on the Cross—because no one else was worthy. When God swears, He swears by His own name, for no one else can uphold their oaths as He can.
Passover was another divine foreshadowing—showing us that it was the blood of the lamb on the doorposts that kept death from entering to claim the firstborn. And it was Christ, the true Lamb of God, who took the keys of death and Hades, fulfilling the promise that through Him, all nations would be blessed.
Jesus Himself foretold this to Nicodemus in John 3:16: *‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Over and over, love is the reason God steps in—adjusting, redeeming, restoring—because mankind could never keep the relationship on its own. And what does God desire most in return? That we love Him. For on this, the entire Law and the Prophets depend.
In John 17:3, Jesus declares a profound truth: "And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’* But here’s something crucial—*knowing* God isn’t just intellectual; it’s relational.
When I looked up the word ‘know’ in Logos Bible Software, I discovered it means ‘to know experientially’—to understand through direct experience and observation. So, if we substitute that meaning into the verse, it reads: *‘And this is eternal life, that they experience and observe the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’
You can’t truly love something—or someone—you haven’t spent time knowing. Love grows through experience, through observation, through shared moments. You can’t appreciate the depth of someone’s love unless you recognize their sacrifices—their time, their efforts, the very offering of their heart.
God loves us, and He has demonstrated that love in a way we can experience and observe. He invites us into that same kind of relationship—not just to acknowledge Him, but to walk with Him, to know Him deeply. And as we come to know God in this way, we learn to love as He loves, allowing that love to overflow into our relationships with others. This isn’t just theory—it’s a divine call to action: to live out love daily, first with God, then with our neighbors, just as He intended."
"Ministry cannot exist without these three essential components in the lives of those who desire to be used by the Lord Jesus Christ. Without them, the foundation is weak. But let me share something I’ve been privileged to experience firsthand—something I consider a true blessing: community and accountability.
These two elements are vital when choosing to first minister to the Lord and then to others. They serve to fortify, anchor, and reinforce your walk with Christ. As Scripture reminds us, 'A threefold cord is not easily broken.’
But here’s the key—it’s one thing to speak these truths or write them down; it’s another to actually live them out. That’s why prayer, fasting, and the Word—along with community and accountability—are essential. This journey was never meant to be walked alone."
"When we keep a constant awareness of our Father’s house—some translations say His *business* or *interests*—we align ourselves with what matters most to Him. And when we do, the Lord moves, working things out not only in our lives but also in our favor, for our ultimate good.
But here’s the truth—you can’t expect God to transform your circumstances without first allowing Him to transform your heart. That change happens gradually as we begin to *experience and observe* Him—learning His ways, walking in His truth, and truly knowing Him. And there is no other way to do this than by spending intentional time with Him through His Word—the Bible. Transformation starts with relationship, and relationship starts with time in His presence."
"In Luke 2:49, we see a defining moment in young Jesus' life. At just 12 years old, after attending the Feast of Passover, He stayed behind in Jerusalem while His parents unknowingly began their journey back to Nazareth. A day passed before they realized He was missing, and after another day's journey back to Jerusalem, they searched for three days before finally finding Him—in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions. And what was the response of those who heard Him? Amazement—astonished by His understanding and His answers.
But when His parents questioned Him, distressed by His absence, Jesus responded with words that carried eternal weight: ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ Other translations say *‘about my Father’s business.’* Even at a young age, Jesus’ heart burned with love for His Father’s house and His Father’s purpose.
This same passion is evident later in His ministry when He enters the Temple, overturnsthe tables of the money changers, and declares, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!’* In this bold act, He revealed two powerful truths: first, His unwavering zeal for righteousness; and second, His righteous anger toward anything that corrupted what God had ordained as a sacred place of worship. Jesus was never passive about His Father’s business—He lived it, breathed it, and demonstrated it with authority."
"Jesus’ prophecy to the Samaritan woman in John 4:21-24 marks a profound shift in how we approach worship:
‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’
With this, Jesus redefined worship—not bound to a location, but to a heart that seeks God in spirit and truth. And the question is, how do we love our God? We already know He loved us“The True North Life” Episode 3: “True Ministry.” first. But consider how Jesus loved the Father—His whole life was consumed with being in His Father’s house. He sought answers to His questions and had conversations with the teachers in the Temple—even at the age of 12. He wasn’t just observing; He was *experiencing* God, *knowing* God.
Jesus Himself said in John 5:19: ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself but only what He sees the Father doing.’ Why do you think He spent time teaching the disciples to observe and experience?
John captured this in 1 John 1:3: ‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.’
This wasn’t just about information—it was about relationship. ‘That which we have seen and heard, we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.’
In John 17:3, Jesus declares, ‘And this is eternal life, that they experience and observe, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’ To truly love God, we must first know Him deeply—through experience and observation—just as Jesus modeled for us."
"I encourage you to read John chapters 13-17 to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship we must cultivate with Christ through fellowship with Him and with our neighbors.
These chapters provide a clear view of the kind of love Christ expects from you and me. But today, I want to focus on John 14:1-22 to drive this home.
As your ‘homework assignment’—and as a blessing to you—I offer this challenge: read those chapters in full, and the first person who emails me quoting John 17:3 will receive a Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Why? Because you’ll begin to grasp what it truly means to minister to the Lord Christ—to show Him your love.
Let’s dive into John 14:1-22:
‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.’
Jesus begins with reassurance—don’t be troubled, don’t worry. Trust in God, trust in Me. And He promises us a reward, a place in His Father’s house. This isn’t just a promise for the disciples; it’s for you and me. He goes to prepare a place, and He’ll come again to take us there.“The True North Life” Episode 3: “True Ministry.”
But then, Thomas speaks up: ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus answers with clarity: ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ Why does He say this? Because He is the path to the Father. Through knowing Him, we come to know the Father. Jesus and the Father are one, and He promises that when we know Him, we know the Father too.
Throughout this passage, Jesus reassures His disciples and us: ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.’ This love isn’t just words—it’s action. By obeying His commands, we show our love for Him.
Then comes the promise of the Holy Spirit. ‘I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive.’ Jesus doesn’t leave us to walk this journey alone. The Spirit will be with us, guiding us in truth.
The promise is clear: ‘Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.’ Jesus is laying the foundation for what it means to truly love God.
This love is active, continual, and transformative. We are not just called to believe, but to live out that belief in every aspect of our lives. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This love isn’t about empty words; it’s about living in such a way that our actions reflect our love for Him.
Consider this challenge: to love God means living out the full spectrum of belief, prayer, worship, and obedience to His commands. Romans 12:1-2 emphasizes this call to worship: ‘I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.’
The first step in ministry is loving God with all our being. Ministry starts with Him—and from that love, we move to loving others. ‘Love thy God with all thy heart, then love man as yourself.’
Let this truth sink in: true ministry begins with a relationship with the Lord. Without this foundation, nothing else can stand. So, commit today to loving Him as He loved you, through your actions, your worship, and your obedience to His Word."
And Lord, we ask You to ignite every heart, soul, mind, and spirit with an unquenchable hunger for Your everlasting Word. In Jesus' mighty name, our Lord and Savior—John 1:1-5. "
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We’ve got a free resource to guide you. Simply visit [www.thespiritofdiscipleship.org] to download it and take your first step today.“The True North Life” Episode 3: “True Ministry.”
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