Meditation

Meditation for 11/25/2019

“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching I it.” (1^st Corinthians9:16–18)

This is probably the best definition, that I can used to explain the blessing God blessed me with in giving me the right to preach the Gospel. Since God called me to ordained ministry, it has been a gift to me, to be able to preach the Gospel. It is never a burden; rather it is always been a blessing for me personally.

As my ministry is non-stipendiary (I don’t receive pay of any kind to do what God has called to do.), so I always feel blessed to preach anytime or anywhere. Therefore when called upon to preach in my church, it is a very rich and blessed moment to share the message of the Gospel, in my own way, that helps people to be able to understand the message and how it applies to our daily lives. I pray this makes sense to all.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, when I ask You the intent of the Gospel that I am to preach on, You have always given me clarity of thought, and it has helped me to be able to share the message with Your church, to those whom I may be preaching with at a given time, and to help them have the same clarity that I receive from You. Today, I pray that You will always be with me or others who listen to a message and to be able to discern the message that is given to us all. Help us then, to put that message to work in our lives and in the lives of those we live and work with, so that more and more come to true understanding of the Gospel that is meant for us all. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“A world of love, makes a world of difference!”

KNOWING GOD:

“Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans16:25-27)

Paul affirmed the revelation of God in Jesus Christ as a mystery unveiled through His preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. The mystery of God’s plan for all persons to find salvation in Christ fulfilled the prophet’s writing but was not properly understood until Christ came. Thus, Paul shows that Christ gave new meaning to the Old Testament, all of which must read in light of His ministry, death, and resurrection. Paul’s doxology praising God appears in important early New Testament manuscripts at different places in the text of Romans. Some manuscripts have in both her and after. Others place it only after. A papyrus manuscript from AD 200 has the doxology after.

I AM:

“Worship, Definition of Gospel:” (Galatians1:3–12)

To define or proclaim really has only one message, salvation through faith in Christ. Any other message, requiring anything but faith from people, is a false gospel. This is true and we must guard ourselves from any other proclamation, than the one of salvation through faith in Christ.

Second Thought of the Day:

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. The time has come, he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark1:14-15)

Beloved, Jesus is the supreme pattern of gospel proclamation. Upon the imprisonment of John the Baptist, He stepped into the spotlight to preach. He announced that the kingdom of God was at hand.

People were to enter that kingdom through repentance and faith. As Jesus demonstrated, the ministry of proclamation involves the announcement of eternal truth and the call for personal commitment. All true proclamation follows this same pattern. Any other message is of man, and not of our Lord and Savior and is thus false.