What a Ministry

"And all of this is a gift from God,

who brought us back to himself through Christ.

And God has given us this task

of reconciling people to him."

2 Corinthians 5:18 NLT

Church people often talk about their ministries.  Feeding the hungry, discipling new believers, teaching children, working with youth, all important to be sure.  We get quite passionate about our particular ministry and often get quite involved.  But there is one ministry we all share, and none are exempt from this task.  In fact, it is perhaps the most important ministry of the Church.

Reconciliation.  Sin separates mankind from God.  A gulf has formed between the holy and the profane.  None can get to the One who loves perfectly and completely.  Even though I want to be a friend, my sin makes me an enemy of God (Romans 5:10).  How can I reach Him who makes all things right, who fulfills, who satisfies that longing in my soul?  Jesus.  He bridges the gap between man and God.  His death on the cross paid the debt God requires for my sin, and through faith and repentance I am reconciled with God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Sin separates.  Jesus reconciles.  What a wonderful message, a message that saved me from certain death, gave me hope for eternity and peace for today.  How can I keep this to myself?  All need to hear, and it is through His own that they will hear.  It is time I stop being stingy and start speaking freely of the saving news that is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

All believers are included in the ministry of reconciliation, where God graciously and kindly offered His Son as a sacrifice to bridge the gap between sinful mankind and His holy self.

Conduit.  It really doesn't do anything.  It's best feature is that it stays pliable and ready to be pulled around wherever it is needed.  While it seems the life-giving water comes from it, the liquid that brings life actually comes from a source that is unseen.  Without my hose, I'd have a hard time watering my garden and flower pots.

In the same way that my garden hose is a conduit that delivers water to where its needed, I am a mouthpiece for Christ to pass on His plea to "Come back to God!"  (2 Corinthians 5:20)  Its not that He needs me, because He does not (Psalm 50:7-13, Daniel 4:35).  For some reason, though, He chooses to use His people to speak on His behalf.  What a privilege to be a part of God at work among His image bearers, bringing the life-giving message to a world that is parched and thirsty.  Let none shrink back from such a joy!

All believers are conduits of grace and the only prerequisite for such a ministry is to offer oneself as a pliable and ready spirit.

Passion.  There seems to be a spirit of fear among the Body of Christ.  As ones who are in the world but not of it, believers operate under a different set of rules with different weapons, reasoning that comes straight from the Holy Spirit to pierce the conscience and tear down the soundest of arguments (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).  Yet, its easy to be deceived into thinking my ability to share the Gospel is based on my own knowledge of scripture, my ability to recall the right truth at the right time, or the strength and shrewdness of my approach.

Instead, this ministry that we've been given is supernaturally powered by God's Spirit.  While I am Christ's representative, He does not expect me to come up with my own tactics or depend upon my own skills to say the right thing at the right time.  On the contrary, it depends only upon my willingness to let the love of Christ compel me to plead, implore, beg the lost to repent and turn to Christ.  Other times His Spirit may lead me to gently restore, to show mercy, to shine a light on the Way of life.  Only He knows which approach each soul needs, so I must stay sensitive to His lead.  Either way, the love of Christ compels me to do whatever is necessary to save people from God's holy judgment without getting caught up in their sinful lifestyle myself (Jude 1:17-23, Jeremiah 20:9).

All believers have the passion of God's Spirit indwelling, leading each to act as a lifeguard to those who are drowning in sin, offering up Jesus as a ring buoy of sorts who will keep them from being overcome by their transgressions.

I am involved in all kinds of ministries, many of which are powerful and necessary.  But have I ignored the one that all share?  The ministry of reconciliation is one with which each believer is tasked, but I need not fret.  The message that brings life comes through me but originates directly from the heart of God with a passion that I cannot resist.  What a ministry!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to put myself in His hands for His purposes.

How am I resisting God's attempts to speak through me?

When do I let fear cripple me, refusing to share the Good News of reconciliation?

    

Anything But This

"O LORD, do not stay far away!

You are my strength;

come quickly to my aid!"

Psalm 22:19 NLT

This Messianic Psalm graphically foretells how Jesus would suffer as He died on the cross.  I can see what Jesus went through in reading Psalm 22, getting a sense of the sacrifice He made in order to reconcile me with God and redeem me by His blood.  He willingly suffered greatly for my sake.

Still, the physical part was not the worst.  He must have dreaded the pain He would endure as He sweat drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest (Luke 22:44), but there was something He feared more than the beatings, humiliation, scourging, taunting and crucifixion.  The anticipation of the separation from His Father as the sin of all mankind rested on Him, causing the Father to turn His back on the Son. When Jesus most needed comfort, the Father of compassion was not there to extend His grace.  

The dependence of Jesus upon His Father is the perfect example of how I must be likewise connected to the Father through faith in Jesus Christ.  I must realize my desperate need for Him and how devastating it would be apart from His presence.  What did Jesus understand that I need to learn?

Source.  I held the hose in my hand but nothing came out of the end.  The faucet was turned on, I had checked for kinks in the hose, but still, the water I needed to give to my plants was not available.

I soon realized a valve had been turned off, blocking this outdoor faucet from receiving water.  Even though all the equipment was in place and working properly, it didn't matter if I couldn't access the well.  I needed to be connected to the source of water.

This is what Jesus knew and I must understand.  Everything good comes from God (James 1:17).  He is the source of all I need to survive in this world.  He gives me the power to endure (Philippians 4:13), grace to help me (Hebrews 4:16), and peace to guard my heart and mind (Philippians 4:7).  I cannot successfully go it alone, trying to keep calm and carry on in the midst of chaos and strife.  No matter how hard I try, I do not have what it takes on my own to endure.  I need to be connected to the source.

In the above example, Jesus is like the hose.  He is the delivery system for all the necessities that come from God, the conduit that gives me what I need.  This is why it is vital that I stay connected to the vine that is Jesus (John 15).  Apart from Jesus, I can do nothing because He is what makes sure I can receive what I need from the Source (Colossians 1:15-20, John 1:3-4).

I must understand that everything I need comes from God and is delivered through faith in Jesus Christ.

Comfort.  When I've hit bottom, feeling like there's no hope, I need it.  When grief pierces my heart, giving me pain that threatens to overwhelm, I seek it.  When I'm reeling from attack, unable to process such evil, I depend upon it.  

Comfort. God is called the Father of Compassion because He is the One who knows how to reassure me when I've fallen, to bring relief from the heartache and sorrow, to minister to my wounds (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).  When I am troubled, Jesus delivers a measure of consolation from His Father, easing the pain as only He can.  

God as my Creator knows me well.  He has the hairs on my head numbered, the thoughts of my head known, and my days recorded in His book.  As such a doting Father, only He knows how to comfort me when I'm hurting.  He is perfectly equipped to give me relief when I'm in desperate need of help.  No matter how much my family, friends or counselors want to help me, God is the One who can give me the compassion I need.

I must understand that true comfort only comes from God and is delivered through faith in Jesus Christ.

Help.  He lay helpless in a pool of blood on the pavement.  No matter how much he may have wanted to get up, he couldn't.  He was in and out of consciousness, completely vulnerable and dependent upon the kindness of others.  Finally, an observant passerby noticed him and called for help.  

In the same way this crime victim could not help himself, I am completely at the mercy of God to help me in my time of need.  I am no more capable of delivering myself from evil, or redeeming my sinful self from the death I deserve, or lifting myself up out of the pit of despair than this wounded man was able to come to his own assistance.  I need intervention, outside help.  

God is the One who can help me in my time of need (Psalm 121:2).  He is the One who sent Jesus to buy me back from the punishment my sins earned me.  The Lord is the only One who can give me hope where there seems to be none.

I must understand that my help comes from God and is extended through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus did not want to be separated from His Father.  It was more than just His closeness to Him, but rather what I need to understand in order to live as His child.  He didn't want to be estranged from His Father because He is the source of everything that is necessary, is the One who can comfort perfectly, and is from where true help comes.  When I get how important my Father is, I will make sure to stay connected to Jesus who delivers such benefits to me.  Then I will have the same attitude as Jesus did and say I'll endure anything but separation from my Father!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can understand how much I need God.

When do I think I can go it alone, that my suffering can be handled apart from God?

How do I minimize my dependence upon God?