Devotional for the Week

Devotional for the week – 29 June 2009

Scripture Title: Build up for the Ministry of needs
Scripture Text: Ezekiel 36: 25-27; Matthew 25: 35-45

It is quite unreasonable to expect someone to do well in a ministry simply because you have put him there. You need to be born again to do well in God’s work. Our natural efforts will prove to be insufficient.

In John 3:3, Jesus declared that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. To see the kingdom of God is to be aware of the kingdom of God. To enter the kingdom of God is to be able to appropriate the truth of that reality for example to have peace beyond all understanding, to have the assurance of salvation and so on. Paul also wrote about being the born again experience as being “in Christ”. Paul uses this phrase about 120 times in his writing. Before we are born again, we are “in Adam” and powerless to say no to sin. When we are born again, what was placed in Jesus is placed in us. Therefore, we have the propensity to do God’s will and to say no to sin. Ezekial, John and 2 Corinthians talk about the born again experience and say that one sign of this is being sensitive to God’s teaching. Being born again is a precondition for a person to be ready to be built up for Christ to reach out in ministry.

Wait on the Lord

There are 3 basic steps to being built up in Christ. Firstly, wait on God. Isaiah 40 v 30 to 31 says that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength and that they will soar on wings like eagles. They will not grow weary or feel faint. What does “waiting” mean? It means seeking to encounter and experience God, to be intimate with God. You can do this by worshipping God, meditating on His word and talking to Him. This is not a one time deal. Building up your relationship with God also builds up the inner man. You will then find Isaiah’s words to be true for you as you witness yourself grow from strength to strength, from one level of faith to another. It is like a spiritual work out, a spiritual makeover.

Walk from the cross to the crown

The second basic step is to walk away from the cross. To many of us, simply lingering around the cross seems sufficient. Lingering around the cross means to keep hanging on to the fact that we have much to thank God for but not do anything more or specific for God. God wants us to carry the cross and move towards the crown. The cross is a means to an end. It is a means to a spiritual transaction. Death on the cross is not simply a means to forgiveness for your sins. It should mould you to be more like Jesus and you should press forward to gaining the crown. Paul said this in Philippians 3:13-14 – “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”. Follow Paul’s example, after going to the cross, focus on the crown for our discipleship.

Build

The third basic step is to build in faith the spiritual provisions given by God. In Luke 10:10-12, we learn that with a measure of faith, we can confront the forces of darkness. Mark 16:17-18 speaks of the power of prayer to do the supernatural. As Christians, we cannot rely on our self-sufficiency. We must rely on the Holy Spirit.

When we practice these 3 basic steps, we can see how we can respond to God’s calling.

Today’s service concentrates on social concerns. In Matthew 25:35 to 40, we can see that the scope of social concerns is very wide. It covers those in prison, the widows, foreign workers, the handicap, the poor and many more. When you work in these areas, when you help the needy, remember that it is as if you are serving God. Likewise, when you decide to turn your back on those in need, you are turning your back on God!

There are many things you can do in social concerns and perhaps the basic 3 would be: (a) pray for the social concerns ministry; (b) participate in the social concerns ministry; and (c) pay to the social concerns ministry.

You should support your social concerns ministry in prayer so that they will know what God’s will is for them and to receive God’s backing in the tasks that they carry out. Pray too that the Holy Spirit will energise the workers. Those in the social concerns ministry, remember always to ask God in prayer “Is this God’s work, way and time?”

For those of you who are especially gifted in a particular field which may be of use to the social concerns ministry, consider helping the social concerns in that area. Volunteer your services readily.

Lastly, if you are not gifted in serving, how about giving financially? Has God blessed you financially? Consider giving some of your financial blessings away. You can elect to have a certain portion of your tithing given to social concerns work or provide food for the needy or sponsor a less fortunate child or missionary.

God has a heart for the poor and needy. When you serve, remember what Jesus will say to you “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” When you minister to those in need in the earthly realm, you are ministering to Jesus spiritually. This is a powerful truth!

Prayer Response

Dear God, thank you for reminding me today of the poor and needy who live alongside me and the many blessings you have given me. Help me to be willing to reach out and serve remembering always that what I do for the less fortunate, I am doing for you. Enable me to be unselfish with my time and money and show me how, where and when you want me to contribute. Amen

A devotional based on a sermon by Rev Victor Goh.

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