Reconciliation Is Your Ministry

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

As you are blessed, your ministry is to bless others. That blessing is provided via the seed that has been planted in you… Christ came to this earth with a sole purpose in mind, to free us from the bondage and guilt of our sins… You are here to fulfill a God-given purpose; you are at your current location to reconcile yourself to the Lord through the reconciliation of relationships and people that may have been fractured or punctured through this course of life… This is why Paul goes on to say that Jesus “hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation…” You were formed with a distinct plan from the Lord; you were created to fulfill a desire that the Lord had before you were even known to be in existence… The message that we are called to receive and understand today is a very powerful and true message regarding the purpose behind each day that you witness on this earth…  So many people have overlooked the things that God has deposited in their lives and therefore continue to miss the mark of pleasing Him… 

The bible declares that without faith it is impossible to please the Lord; you must walk in faith throughout your days and weeks and in order to do this you must come to the realization that you don’t have to be a minister to have ministry… We miss opportunities to bring people to Christ because we are focused on bringing them to church… You have been called to the ministry; however, it doesn’t mean you stand in a pulpit on Sunday mornings… The message that Paul pens to us today is that you have some reconciliation to do in your life… This could be forgiving an adversary or it could be seeking forgiveness from above… Whatever the case or situation, you must know that people are perishing because you have not walked in your ministry… Remember that we were separated from the Lord through the original sin of Adam, but we have been reconciled through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ… Sin separated us from God and ultimately from the right to salvation in Him and Christ came to reconcile our differences and provide us an opportunity to regain our inheritance. We would not be able to obtain salvation if it weren’t for Christ's offering of Himself; but more importantly, the fact that God sought for us to be reconciled with Him! Today, choose to offer yourself for the ministry of reconciliation… Extend a hand of love, offer help to a foe and allow the spirit of God to live in you and through you… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Overcome Spiritual Blindness

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

Ephesians 1:18

Ephesus was a city full of superstition, magic, and all the other works which resembled that of a cult… It was the missionary journey of Paul (led by the Holy Spirit) to enter the city of Ephesus and open their eyes… A lot of times we see people who have gone the wrong way, we speak words about them but we never speak words to them… This is the message that I find so important for us to grasp in today’s focus verse… The people you encounter may not know what they’re doing is wrong, some of them may have very well been brought up with the notion that all the things that are being done are right and it is up to you to allow the Holy Spirit to move so that “The eyes of there understanding may be enlightened…” Not everybody needs to hear a word of encouragement, not everybody needs a pat on the back, some people in your life need to hear the truth in love, some people in your life need a stern kick in their backside… The ministry that God has placed in your life, you are accountable for; every person you encounter every day of your life should be impacted by the display of Christ in and through you… 

This is what Paul was saying in his letter to the Church of Rome when he said that we should be “a living sacrifice…” The problem that occurs in most of the lives of people who live according to this world is that they place their hopes in and on material things… People of the world have the belief that a high-paying job gives them hope for a bright future and stability; however, this is where their understanding must be enlightened… The eyes of this world must be opened and this can only be accomplished when people are taught the truth about their existence. You and I are alive because of Christ, because of His sacrifice and His desire for no man to perish... So many people have yet to come to the realization that Christ is indeed the savior for all mankind. This is why your testimony (daily example) is important and must be on display at all times. So many are spiritually blind, it's time for you to open their eyes. As Christ said, "the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few..." 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Every Knee Shall Bow

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:10-11

When you make Christ the head of your life and walk according to His will and plan, you are assured of two things, the first is trials and the second is victory… Jesus reminds the disciples in John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." However, we see in the scripture penned by Paul that people will be humbled before the mighty name of the one that we serve and face trials for… Paul writes a letter to the church of Philippi focused on imitating the life of Christ… When Jesus was resurrected from the dead He was received with all power in heaven and on earth, He was given authority over every matter and situation and defeated the devil with His sacrifice… Paul reminds us of the authority that Jesus has in today’s focus verses… “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Today we see the reasons why we can smile in the midst of tragedy, today we are given evidence of how we can hold our head up in the midst of a storm. Through this passage, we learn how to continue in praise despite the circumstances that we face… We have victory through the blood of Jesus; we have the ability to triumph because of His nail-scarred hands and we have received a clean slate because of His humility… Paul says every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord… You may see some people going the wrong way right now, you may see some people smiling while indulging in their life of sin and you may see others that appear to be better off than you; however, we must remember that Jesus experienced the same things when dealing with the Romans and Pharisees, Jesus was belittled on this earth, but now has a place next to the Father (sitting on a throne) that everyone would love to have… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

The Blessing of Giving

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:7-8

Matthew 7:2 says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” You have to give to receive, in order to have something put in your hand, you must first remove what already exists in it… The bible says that the merciful are blessed not only because of their kind acts but also because true mercy calls for one to be humble and solely focused upon the Lord… Mercy is withholding or forgiving someone who has wronged you and/or caused pain and strife within you… Mercy is something that we all naturally do not extend to our fellowman; when I was a little boy I was instructed that when someone hit me I should hit them back; however, Jesus tells us that we must turn the other cheek… A merciful person is indeed blessed because they are walking in the will of God and therefore protected under His mighty hand… Matthew records that those who are merciful shall obtain mercy; we have all fallen short, we have all made bad choices and decisions, but as a child of God we cannot allow those things to be a stumbling block that hinders our growth and future aspirations! We must learn from our mistakes and seek the forgiveness of God as well as our fellow man… More importantly, we must be able to extend forgiveness to one another through pure and unconditional love so that our sins and poor choices may be forgiven by our Lord and Savior! Jesus informs us in the 18^th chapter of Matthew that the forgiveness of our sins are made possible by the forgiveness (mercy) that we extend to others… "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” If you want to obtain mercy from above, you must first extend mercy on earth… That's one of the core blessings received through giving!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There's Always An Escape

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

1 Corinthians 10:13

 

Everybody faces temptations; the only thing that varies from person to person is how we handle them… Paul says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as if common to man…” This passage shines a light on the fact that the enemy knows your common weaknesses; however, it also provides encouragement to the believer as you are told that the adversary is using the same old tired tricks that our Lord has already conquered… This is why despite the temptations that are common snares in our lives that Paul goes on to say that “God is faithful…”This means that the things we face in life are things that have been here before; God knows your limitations… Everything that you endure is never going to overtake you if you remain focused and stay attentive to the will of God… The things you are dealing with God already knows and the reason you are subject to them is simply because He knows that you can handle them… 

Temptations display the true character and heart of an individual… It is when we are tempted that we showcase the faith we have in Christ or the lack thereof… It is necessary for us to endure such temptations as we profess our faith and allow God’s faithfulness to work in and through us… Remember that the first portion of this scripture speaks about the common temptations that man faces; with that being said we can look to Jesus and know how to handle tempting situations…  When Jesus was led into the wilderness and fasted for forty days, the word of God tells us that He was tempted by the enemy… Through all the temptations that were hurled His way, by standing upon the word He was able to resist the enemy and eventually make him retreat… Understand today, that through the word of God you have the ability to overcome the obstacles in front of you… You can resist the enemy just as Jesus did and he will flee… 

 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Remember His Mercies

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

Isaiah 63:7

Do you ever sit back and just recall all the lovingkindness that God has shown you…? When you truly examine your life, you will come to the conclusion that you are beyond blessed… You should always approach the Lord with thanksgiving because even to have breath in your body is a blessing… Despite the different things that you may be going through or the various storms that you have encountered; Isaiah reminds us today that we need to meditate on the things that God had done in our lives, the paths that He has made and the doors that He has opened… When you feel like you are at the edge of the cliff remind yourself of God’s “great goodness toward the house of Israel…” Substitute the house of Israel with your name and rehash all the wonderful blessings that have been bestowed in your life… The Israelites had been delivered from the hand of Pharaoh, feed manna from heaven and entered the Promise Land under the leadership of Joshua… Despite all their nagging and complaints, God still gave them water from a rock and defeated all their adversaries… It is in the days of Isaiah that the children of God have rekindled their rebellious nature and are finding themselves in the midst of coming bondage… It is very easy for us to focus on the problems in our lives instead of the solution… Nobody wants to endure discipline and correction; however, we can embrace these times in our life when we know that God is in the midst and His lovingkindness is still present… This focus chapter of Isaiah starts of speaking of God’s vengeance and redemption, but it ends with verses dealing with prayer and praise… You may be experiencing the first part of this chapter in your life today…You may be feeling God’s vengeance in the storms that are pouring down on you; however, you can rest assured that the storm is serving a purpose and you will be redeemed back to the Father… When redemption takes place, your prayers of heartache turn to prayers of praise…  

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He Hasn't Forgotten About You

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." 

Hebrews 13:5

Are you truly content with the things that you have? This is not to mean that you are satisfied with your standing, but that you appreciate everything that is in your life and don’t take them for granted… Today’s focus verse reminds us of the importance to be content with the things that we have or else we will become susceptible to coveting the things that our neighbor has… To covet means to desire, want or long for; when you covet something, all your focus turns to obtaining that particular position or object. The very act of coveting leaves you vulnerable to losing what you already have… As a child of God, we stand in faith that “he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee…”We don’t covet the possessions of our neighbors simply because we believe that God will supply all of our needs…  When one takes on the mindset of coveting, they really expose themselves to all the devices and snares of the enemy… The minute you turn to material things, you lose sight of God; this is one of the very reasons why Moses received one of the Ten Commandments which spoke to coveting… "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” God indeed is in the blessing business (as I often hear people say), but you must first take care of the little you have (be content) and allow God to provide the abundance…  

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Grace Is Given To The Humble

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

James 4:6

James teaches us the truth about God’s grace and how we experience it through this journey we call life… Jesus taught His disciples that in order to find your life you must lose it for His sake… We each have a cross to bear and Christ will give us the power, grace, energy and endurance to bear it… James informs us today that if you want to live you must die, if you want to be rich you must become poor and if you want to be exalted you must be humbled… God is a God of faithfulness and He demonstrates it by lifting you up when you fall… Every trial that you encounter serves a purpose in your life, every obstacle that you face was ordained and appointed by God and every storm that approaches your door teaches you to lean and depend on our heavenly father… James says, “But he giveth more grace…” Grace is something that is given not something that is deserved. It is a gift that is out of thoughtfulness, kindness and compassion… Even though you don’t deserve it, God gives you more, even when you mess up, He gives you another chance. Even when you walk through the wrong door (temptation), He opens another to get you back on track… God cares about you, God’s compassion was demonstrated when He sent His only begotten son to die for our sins… Today we are reminded that God is able to make all grace abound to you, one of my sisters once told me, “You never tell God how big your storm is, you simply tell the storm how big your God is…” There is a lot of substance in that statement, James starts off his book by telling us that we should consider it pure joy when we face trials and temptations… We can be joyful in storms not because of the rain, but because we have shelter and will see the sunshine again… You can be joyful in times of sorrow, not because of the tears that flow, but because of the happiness soon to come… God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us and the truth of the matter is that the greater the hurdle in front of you, the more grace God is about to deposit into your life… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Beware of Tradition

Beware lest any man spoils you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Colossians 2:8

We are tempted in many ways and forms to follow anything but the path that Jesus Christ paved for us through His bloodshed on the cross… Paul reminds us of this fact in today’s focus verse which sheds light on the many avenues in which we can be deceived… Today we focus on a letter that Paul writes to the church of Colosse about guarding yourself against the attacks of the devil and his evil intentions… Paul has laid the foundation of the Church of Colosse and as the people have begun to convert to Christianity, there are some men who have begun to try and infiltrate the church and deceive the congregation… Make no mistake about it, as soon as you make the choice to follow Christ; that’s the same time in which the devil turns his attack toward you… Often time we focus on the things of the world as being evil, but today Paul reminds us that our biggest adversary can be found within the church… I once heard a man say that the devil resides in the church, not because He wants to be religious, but because he has no care about whoever is living according to the worldly standard… Paul teaches us today about the importance of surrounding yourself with the right kind of people and also establishing a sturdy foundation upon the word of God on your own… We live in a world where we have more and more people receiving their doctorate in theology, more and more people attending seminary and more and more people building churches; however, we see more and more corruption in the church, more and more thieves in the pulpit and more and more souls being lost… People have begun to follow men instead of following God and Paul reminds us today through his letter to the church of Colosse that we must beware and be vigilant… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!