OUR MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JULY 21, 2021.

SUBJECT : OUR MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.

Memory verse: "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 18).

READ: Romans 5 vs 6 - 11:

5:6: For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:9: Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

5:10: For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

5:11: And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

INTIMATION:

The Amplified Version rendering of our memory verse is, "But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. 

The Bible gave the explanation of our memory verse (vs 18) in verse 19 thus, "It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but canceling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). (Amplified Version.)

God is present, and at work in Christ reconciling the whole world to Himself, canceling out their trespasses, not counting them no more against them. For the believers in Christ, God has reconciled us to Himself by the mediation of Jesus Christ. All three members of the Trinity are involved in salvation. The Father loved us so much that He sent His Son to bridge the gap between us (John 3 vs 16). The Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and to enable us to live by His power (Acts 1 vs 8). 

In like manner, God has appointed those who believed and accepted Christ and what He wrought for us in redemption, as His representatives (ambassadors of Christ), and has commissioned us to do the same thing He is doing—reconciling the world to Christ. He has given us, through Christ, the ministry of reconciliation; not the ministry of condemnation which we have had before this time, but a ministry of reconciliation. He has also, given us the word (message) of reconciliation, to preach to the world as Christ's personal representatives in the world.

What then do we preach? In most of the preaching, we have reckoned unto men their trespasses. We have kept them "trespass-minded." We have kept them conscious of their weaknesses and failings, constantly preaching sin, and judgement to them. That is not wrong in itself, but God has not given us such ministry. He has instead given us the ministry of reconciliation; to preach Eternal life in Christ.

It is proper to remind us of where we are coming from, but it is much more proper to recount to us what God has wrought for us in Christ Jesus, and where we, as believers in Christ and His work in redemption, are heading to. For believers in Christ, the remission of sin is a reality, God has blotted out our past records, and made them nonexistent. Where we are coming from has seized to exist in God's memory, haven given us His righteousness in Christ (Second Corinthians 5 vs 21). It was for this reason He commissioned us as Christ's ambassadors with the message of reconciliation. We have that Word, and we have the message, It is therefore, ours to give to the world. 

As Christ's representatives, a new commandment has given to in John 13 vs 34 - 35: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

That is the pivot on which the life of the "New Creation" man revolves. God, by His Nature, is love, and He showcased His love nature when He gave to the world His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins (John 3 vs 16). He came and paid the debt we owed and ought to have paid for our sins. and legally set us free from that debt.  When we were set free, He blotted out the records of our past, and made them nonexistent. He recreated us to be now in conformity to His love nature that was lacking before now, hence His pouring out His love out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5 vs 5). 

It is after the impartation of His 'Love Nature' in the new creation, that He gave us the new commandment. Out of love for one another, we are to joyfully and freely let others know about Jesus, and the immeasurable worth of what He wrought for us in redemption, that they may come to partake of it.

As ambassadors of Christ, reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to be reconciled to God in accordance with the ministry given to us. As ambassadors of reconciliation, we have very important responsibility—the message of entreating the world to be reconciled to God. We dare not take this responsibility lightly. The question then is, 'How well are you fulfilling your commission as Christ's ambassador?

Prayer: Abba Father, let the zeal of 'Your Commission' burn in me that I may be an ambassador of Christ worthy of my calling, and that I may obtain the crown of rejoicing, and righteousness, which the Lord will give to me at the day of His coming, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

Grace for Every Need

 

Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant. (Psalm 86:16)

Future grace is the constant plea of the praying psalmists. They pray for it again and again to meet every need. They give us a beautiful model of daily dependence on future grace for every exigency.

They cry out for grace when they need help: “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” (Psalm 30:10).

When they are weak: “Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant” (Psalm 86:16).

When they need healing: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord” (Psalm 6:2).

When they are afflicted by enemies: “Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me” (Psalm 9:13).

When they are lonely: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:16).

When they are grieving: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief” (Psalm 31:9).

When they have sinned: “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” (Psalm 41:4).

When they long for God’s name to be exalted among the nations: “God be gracious to us and bless us . . . that your way may be known on earth” (Psalm 67:1–2).

Unmistakably, prayer is the great link of faith between the soul of the saint and the promise of future grace. If ministry was meant by God to be sustained by prayer, then ministry was meant to be sustained by faith in future grace.

THE WORD IN OUR RECREATION!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JULY 20, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE WORD IN OUR RECREATION!

Memory verse: "Of His own Will He brought us forth by the Word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1 vs 18.) 

READ: First Peter 1 vs 23 - 25: 

1:23: Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and forever,

1:24: because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, 

1:25: but the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

INTIMATION:

No one would ever have been redeemed by one’s own efforts. You could never have gotten in there by your own efforts. You had to be born of the Holy Spirit (John 3 vs 5). You have to be recreated through the energy of the Word; for He says, "Of His own Will have we been begotten through the Word." (James 1 vs 18 and First Peter 1 vs 23). It is not of man. It is not of the Will of the flesh, it is of the Will of our own heavenly Father. (John 1 vs 13.) It is through the Father's Word. It is by the energy of the Holy Spirit that Eternal Life has been given to us, and we have become New Creations. 

The new creation in Christ—the confession and believe in our Messiah, Jesus Christ—is based upon legal grounds. You have come into the Father's family because you responded to His call. You have received the Word—Jesus Christ, who was God, and with God in the beginning (John 1 vs 1 - 2). You have received Him, and believed in His name, and He has given you the legal right to become His child (John 1 vs 12).

What Jesus taught—His Word, and what He did—His works are tied inseparably to who He is. Although Jesus took upon Himself full humanity and lived as a man, He never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the source of eternal life. This is the truth about Jesus and the foundation of all truth. 

The Scripture in Psalm 33 vs 6 says that the Word is agent of creation, and the source of God’s message to His people through the prophets (Hosea 4 vs 1), and also God’s Law, His standard of holiness (Psalm 119 vs 11). This same Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1 vs 14). 

All who welcome Jesus—the Word—as Lord of their lives are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Him, this new birth changes us from the inside out—rearranging our attitudes, desires, and motives. Being born makes you physically alive and places you in your parents’ family. Being born of God makes you spiritually alive and puts you in God’s family (John 1 vs 12). 

The passage we read today was a quotation by the apostle Peter from the Book of Isaiah 40 vs 6 - 8. He reminded us that everything in this life—possessions, accomplishments, people—will eventually fade away and disappear. Only God’s will, Word, and work are permanent. Therefore, we must stop grasping the temporary, and begin focusing our time, money, energy on the permanent: The Word of God and our eternal life in Christ. God’s Word is eternal and unfailing; it is constant, and only in God’s eternal Word will we find lasting solutions to our problems and needs.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the same with Your Word. I  am recreated by Your Word, and in Your Word lies all answers to my problems and needs. Endue me greatly with Your Word  that I may live a victorious and all sufficient life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

His Timing Is Perfect

 

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may find grace for a well-timed help. (Hebrews 4:16, my literal translation)

I know this precious verse is usually translated, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” But that is a paraphrase — a true one — to show that God shows up just when we need him. But the literal focus is on how timely the help is.

All ministry is in the future — a moment away, or a month away, or a year, or a decade. We have ample time to fret about our inadequacy. When this happens, we must turn to prayer.

Prayer is the form of faith that connects us today with the grace that will make us adequate for tomorrow’s ministry. Timing really matters.

What if grace comes too early or comes too late? The traditional translation of Hebrews 4:16 does not make clear a very precious promise in this regard. We need a more literal rendering to see it. The promise is not merely that we find grace “to help in time of need,” but that the grace is well-timed by God.

The point is that prayer is the way to find future grace for a well-timed help. This grace of God always arrives from the “throne of grace” on time. The phrase “throne of grace” means that future grace comes from the King of the universe who sets the times by his own authority (Acts 1:7).

His timing is perfect, but it is rarely ours: “For a thousand years in [his] sight are but as yesterday when it is past” (Psalm 90:4). At the global level, he sets the times for nations to rise and fall (Acts 17:26). And at the personal level, “My times are in [his] hand” (Psalm 31:15).

When we wonder about the timing of future grace, we must think on the “throne of grace.” Nothing can hinder God’s plan to send grace when it will be best for us. Future grace is always well-timed.

WHAT KINDS OF FRUIT ARE YOU BEARING?

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JULY 19, 2021.

SUBJECT: WHAT KINDS OF FRUIT ARE YOU BEARING?

Memory verse: "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" (Matthew 7 vs 16.)

READ: Matthew 7 vs 17 - 20:

7:17: Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

7:18: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

7:19: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

7:20: Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

INTIMATION:

In the passage we read today, fruit metaphorically denotes works or deeds. The fruit being the visible expression of power working inwardly and invisibly, and the character of the fruit being evidence of the character of the power producing it. Our speech and actions largely reveal our true underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations which are the fruits in our lives. What is in your heart, that is, the fruit in your life, will come out in your speech and behavior. And usually the good impressions—the good fruit in your life—you make cannot last If we are being deceptive. 

What then are the visible expressions of the power working inwardly and invisibly in your life—the fruit in your life? As the visible expressions of hidden lusts are the works of the flesh, so is the invisible power of the Holy Spirit in those who are brought into living union with Christ and produces the fruit of the Spirit. 

But our lives can even be of no fruit, and God abhors such life. Now, see what Jesus did to a fig tree in Matthew 21 vs 18 - 19; “Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fid tree withered away.”

The question is why did Jesus curse the fig tree? Jesus was showing His anger on religion without substance—Christianity without results. Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close observation, so is Christianity without commensurate good works. If you only appear to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the fig tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit; fruitful in appearance only but spiritually barren. Genuine faith means bearing fruit for God’s kingdom. 

In the Scripture, in John 15 vs 16, Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” As Christians, we are evaluated by the kind of fruit we bear. Good Christians consistently exhibit good behavior and high moral standards as they seek to live out the truths of the Scripture. Jesus is not expecting a perfect character, but rather a show of genuine commitment in the works of the Christian toward His kingdom. It is only Jesus that will perfect us on His return, but our sanctification is continuous until His return (Hebrews 10 vs 14).

The Scripture in John 15 vs 1 - 8, Jesus gave us requirements for a fruit bearing believer. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. As the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15 vs 1 - 2; 4 - 5.)

Christ is the vine, the branches are His followers, and God is the vinedresser who cares for the branches to make them fruitful. The fruitful branches are true believers who by their living union with Christ produce much fruit. But those who become unproductive—those who turn back from following Christ after making a superficial commitment—will be separated from the vine because they are as good as dead and will be cut off and tossed aside. 

The fruit of Christian life are; godliness (crucified flesh with its passion and desires), faith, virtue, knowledge, perseverance, soul winning, answered prayer, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. All these are unified character of the Lord, hence the Scripture usually refers to them singularly as “fruit,” instead of “fruits.” They are all in contrast with the confused, and often mutually antagonistic “work of the flesh.” They are referred to in the Scripture as “The fruit of righteousness,” that is, all of the character traits flowing from a right relationship with God (Philippians 1 vs 11). 

In Hebrews 12 vs 11, the fruit of righteousness is described as “peaceable fruit”; the outward effect of Divine chastening sown in peace in the believer. It is also called the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5 vs 22 -24). The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are the by-products of Christ’s control. To obtain the fruit, we must abide in Him  (join our life to His), we must know Him, believe in Him, receive Him as our Savior and Lord, love Him, obey Him, remember Him, and imitate Him. As a result we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law—to love God and our neighbors. 

Our desire as Christians should be to produce fruit in likeness of Christ and acceptable to God, and outlasts death. The Scripture, in Revelation 14 vs 13, says, “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” God’s people should produce fruit that survives even death. Yes, God will only remember our love, kindness, faithfulness, and our kingdom advancement endeavors. While it is true that money, fame, and possessions are good, but they are abandoned here on earth when you die, and God does not reckon such for you, but is only mindful of what you achieved with them in your relationship with Him and others while you lived on earth. Now, the choice is yours. What kinds of fruit are you bearing?

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to bear good fruits that survive even death, and are remarkable, and approved by You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WHO WILL THE LORD SAY YOU ARE?

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JULY 18, 2021.

SUBJECT: WHO WILL THE LORD SAY YOU ARE?

Memory verse: "Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1 vs 8.) 

READ: Job 1 vs 6 - 12:

1:6: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.

1:7: And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come? So Satan answered the LORD, and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

1:8: Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God, and shuns evil?”

1:9: So Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

1:10: Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

1:11: But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

1:12: And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.  

INTIMATION:

Have you ever thought of such idea or bothered about who God will say you are? Interestingly, this should be the most important question in everybody’s life, and requires a sincere answer from every one of us. This is because of the day of “Judgement” when every one will appear before Christ. The Bible says, ”For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what He has done, whether good or bad.” (Second Corinthians 5 vs 10.) And “As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9 vs 27). 

Christ will judge each and everyone of us, both the living and the dead, and He will reward us for how we have lived. Although judgment is already working in our lives, there will be a future, final judgment when Christ returns (Matthew 25 vs 31 - 46), and everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. For the believers, their eternal destiny is secure, but Jesus will look at how they handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities in order to determine their heavenly rewards. God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience. Everybody, Christians and non-Christians,  must give account of how they lived before Christ.

The question is, “How will Christ see you?” Can He testify of your goodness, obedience, and faithfulness? In our memory verse, God testified about Job; He Inquired from Satan if he had seen His servant Job. God’s servants are faithful to Him in all they do. They serve Him with their whole lives. It was a great honor to Job; it placed him amongst His known servants as Moses and David. God was boastful about His servant Job, and reposed great confidence in him. 

Job was a model of trust and obedience to God, and because of God’s confidence in him, He permitted Satan to attack him in an especially harsh manner. God trusted Job not to cave in to Satan’s wicked ploys to make him doubt whom he believed. Can God say this of you? Can God repose such confidence in you as a believer? This calls for concern to each and every one of us.

Satan attacked Job with the false impression that Job was blameless and had integrity before God, because he had no reason to turn against God that had blessed him exceedingly. Ever since he had started following God, everything had gone well for Job. Satan wanted to prove that Job worshiped God, not out of love, but because God had given him so much. Although, it was an obvious falsehood about Job’s motives, Satan accurately analyzed why many people trust God. They are fair-weather believers, following God only when everything is going well or for what they can get. 

Adversity destroys this superficial faith. But adversity strengthens real faith by causing believers to dig their roots deeper into God in order to withstand the storms. How deep does your faith go? Put the roots of your faith down deep into God so that you can withstand any storm you may face.

Although God loves us, believing and obeying Him do not shelter us from life’s calamities. Setbacks, tragedies, and sorrows strike Christians and non-Christians alike. But in our tests and trials, God expects us to express our faith in Him to the world. How do you respond to your troubles? Do you ask God, “Why me?” or do you say, “Use me!”?

The conversation between God and Satan teaches us an important fact about God—He is fully aware of every attempt by Satan to bring suffering and difficultly upon us. While God may allow us to suffer for a reason beyond our understanding, He is never caught by surprise by our troubles and is always compassionate.

We should be concerned about how we live, and lead our lives hear on earth; our obedience, faithfulness, and trust in God in words and in deeds. We should also be mindful of what our fellow believers say or think of us, knowing that those who are faithful to the end will reign with Him as He judges the world. (See Revelation 2 vs 26 - 27).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of raw obedience to You and Your Word, that I may be found worthy on the day of judgment, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God’s Grace in Spiritual Gifts

 

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1 Peter 4:10)

When we use our spiritual gifts, we are stewarding grace — not yesterday’s grace, but today’s, arriving in every moment of need. And this future grace is “varied grace.” It comes in many colors and shapes and sizes. This is one of the reasons spiritual gifts in the body are so diverse. The prism of God’s gifts in your life will refract shades of divine glory that would never come through my prism.

There are as many future graces as there are needs in the body of Christ — and more. The purpose of spiritual gifts is to receive and dispense the future grace of God to those needs.

But someone may ask, “Why do you take Peter to refer to future grace? Doesn’t a steward manage a household store that is already on hand?”

The main reason I take Peter to refer to future grace is because the next verse illustrates how this works, and the reference there is to ongoing supplies of future grace. He says, “Whoever serves, [let him serve] by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). The word is “supplies,” not “supplied.” As you serve, serve in the power of the ongoing supply of God’s grace to do what you need to do.

When you fulfill your spiritual gift to serve someone tomorrow, you will be serving “by the strength that God supplies” — and the supply will be tomorrow, not today. “As your days, so shall your strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25).

God goes on, day-by-day, moment-by-moment, supplying the “strength” in which we minister. He does this because the ongoing, inexhaustible supplier of power gets the glory. “Whoever serves, [let him serve] by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”