DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT WEDNESDAY - DO YOU HAVE A MINISTRY?

For the sake of each of us he laid down his life--worth no less than the universe. He demands of us in return our lives for the sake of each other. - St. Clement of Alexandria.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. - 2Co 5:18-19.

So popular and effective was Campbell Morgan's ministry that he was given all kinds of offers from many different places and people. John Wannamaker, the great merchant of Philadelphia, offered to build Morgan a million dollar church if he would become its Pastor. Morgan turned him down, something the wealthy Wanamaker was not accustomed to in his dealings with people. "I am God's man," said Morgan. "If I did that I would become John Wanamaker's man." - W. Wiersbe.

I hear so many Christians tell me that they don’t have a ministry today, my reply is not for publication! Suffice to say, is it so difficult for them to read the Bible for themselves? Is it so difficult to be obedient? Is it so difficult to put the commands of Christ into practice?

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Mat 28:18-20.

A minister must be learned, on pain of being utterly incompetent for his work. But before and above being learned, a minister must be godly. Nothing could be more fatal, however, than to set these two things over against one another. Recruiting officers do not dispute whether it is better for soldiers to have a right leg or a left leg: soldiers should have both legs. - B.B. Warfield.

Don’t these Christians realise that their lives belong to Jesus Christ? Don’t they realise that they are born again? Don’t they realise that they are new creations? Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2Cor 5:17.

Don’t they realise that the Master has given them a ministry? The Apostle Paul defines it so well… All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

A childhood accident caused poet Elizabeth Barrett to lead a life of semi-invalidism before she married Robert Browning in 1846. There's more to the story. In her youth, Elizabeth had been watched over by her tyrannical father. When she and Robert were married, their wedding was held in secret because of her father's disapproval.

After the wedding the Browning’s sailed for Italy, where they lived for the rest of their lives. But even though her parents had disowned her, Elizabeth never gave up on the relationship. Almost weekly she wrote them letters. Not once did they reply. After 10 years, she received a large box in the mail. Inside, Elizabeth found all of her letters; not one had been opened!

Today those letters are among the most beautiful in classical English literature. Had her parents only read a few of them, their relationship with Elizabeth might have been restored. - Daily Walk.

Those of us that are in Christ, that is, a ‘Born Again’ Christian, having Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith, are a new creature; our old state is changed: we were a child of Satan, we are now children of God; we were slaves to sin, and his works were death; we are now made free from sin, and have the fruit of holiness, and everlasting life. We were full of pride and wrath; now we are meek and humble.

We previously had the devil’s portion in this life, and lived for this world alone; we now have God for our portion, and he looks not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are eternal. Therefore, old things are passed away! Hallelujah! Praise the wonderful name of Jesus!

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. - Eph 4:22-24.

The thief had nails through both hands, so that he could not work; and a nail through each foot, so that he could not run errands for the Lord; he could not lift a hand or a foot toward his salvation, and yet Christ offered him the gift of God; and he took it. Christ threw him a passport, and took him into Paradise. - D. L. Moody.

Yes! We all have a ministry, and that is to go into our world and win souls for Him! The world is waiting for us, to tell them of the new life they can have in Christ! They can find an end to their unfulfilled lives! They can have the direction of the Holy Spirit in their lives, instead of wandering around aimlessly!

Loving Father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to recognize that I have a ministry, and that ministry is to bring people to you, that they may become new creations. I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus, amen!

GBYAY