How can you fulfill Jesus’ command to proclaim the gospel universally?

 15 Jun 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One


Readings:

Ezra 9

Ezra 10

Act 1


And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). 


How can you fulfill Jesus’ command to proclaim the gospel universally?


Jesus shares with His disciples how to accomplish their mission. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Today, all born-again believers are baptized with the Spirit at the moment of their conversion. It is the indwelling Spirit who equips us to be faithful witnesses. Moreover, as we walk with Jesus daily, we are also filled (or controlled) by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18- 21). As you read the Book of Acts, observe the examples of the disciples being filled with the Spirit and proclaiming the gospel. We need to go and do likewise! 


Employment Point: Witness regularly through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

———————

Reflections

Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit who guides us to good witnessing for the Lord and to speak truths with love.


“When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice. Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God”Ezra‬ ‭9‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • For a moment, I was reading about this guy Ezra and then, I realised what kind of guy he is. He has the hearts of the Lord. He knew exactly what causes God’s wrath and knew too, there’s no way he can reverse anything. He was bitter and upset and also understood why there was so much hardship in their lives-all because of their wrongdoings.
  • Yet, he didn’t give up. He, in his humble mode, continued to intercede for the Lord’s people.
  • A reminder to us that situations can be difficult and looks like a dead-end but we have a Lord who has the power in the world to do the impossible.


“Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Now honor the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.””

‭‭Ezra‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • we may be at wits end and not sure what we can do anymore to savage the situation. But the Lord has mercy and is usually able to provide a way out of a sticky situation. The thing is we ought to remember this teaching.


“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • this verse is also a reminder of what I read during my training. The great commission is not to be taken lightly. We may think that we know too little or too insignificant to share our lives with others. Friends, let us not give up in the pursuit of the Lord and be His witnesses through the ends of the earth.
  • It is not us who are speaking but the Holy Spirit who will put the words into our mouth.

———————

Get Moving! (2)

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

June 15


Also…add to your faith… —2 Peter 1:5


In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become “partakers of the divine nature” and that we should now be “giving all diligence,” concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5). We are to “add” to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits— we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus…took a towel and…began to wash the disciples’ feet…” (John 13:3-5).


We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God’s way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.


It is difficult for us to do the “adding” that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty’s sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ.


Nehemiah 1-3; Acts 2:1-21


WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same.

——————-

Reflections

A fellow sister was just sharing with us on Sat how the Lord has prompted her to do the work at one of the medical places. It was anything fancy but just small works of routine. Bringing people around, nursing work, etc.. not like she is complaining but she is just in awe of how she did all these things as a volunteer for 5 years.


While she was talking, it’s as if I heard the Holy Spirit spoke. She is faithful in the small things and therefore the Lord will honour her in the bigger things. I shared this with her after that to encourage her.


Looking back in our own lives, we have to agree that the Lord may point us to some big projects but it almost never always start there. It’s usually something small, something mundane. Drudgery they call it. I believe that is necessary. Because in all these seemingly small things is where we build character and consistency.


Endurance is not built in one day. It is an everyday test of drudgery, of routine, maybe even boring to some but something which we ought to give things for and something to stretch us on how we follow through. If we do not have the ability to follow through even in the small tasks, what more the big ones? So if you find yourself stuck with something and having a sense that you are so near yet so far, perhaps there is just this something in your life that you have yet to close the gap. He is teaching you to follow through so you learn how it look like to bring something to fruition.


Even in times in drudgery, we are not meant to just do whatever there is. This is the time of preparation. For what you may ask? For wars that we know nothing about. Yes the Lord is the One who fights all our wars but we ourselves ought to be spiritually ready as well. We need to be trained. Our body needs to be made ready so that the Holy Spirit can use it any ways.


Friends, give thanks to drudgery and stay faithful through it. Press on to finish the goal that is set out before us and endure this race to the end. We will all make it for the Lord is with us.


Let’s pray:


Heavenly Father and Eternal God, we thank You for drudgery and for the times like this which are most peaceful. Help us not to take these times for granted but make full use of these so call down time to sharpen our swords, refresh our minds and bodies and to grow even deeper into our intimate relationship with the Lord. Help us to stay vigilant and always be ready for His second coming. In Jesus’s name we ask and pray. Amen 🙏🏻 

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