MESSENGERS 2
As a messenger who are you affecting? Every messenger carries a message. What message do you carry? When people see you, are they inspired to hope, gladness and smiles? Or does your presence stir in them hopelessness, and suggests to them they can never amount to anything in life? Does your presence encourage or condemn others?
The duty of the messenger of the Lord is to prepare His Way.
“As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” – Mark 1:2 (KJV)
“Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. ” – Isaiah 40:3.
(NLT)
Your duty is to prepare that dry place so the Lord might come in. Soften that situation for that brother, that sister; show the love of God, shine the light of God into that troubled soul! Give hope to people around you. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven! (Matt. 5:16 KJV)
You are a messenger, not only the “ordained ministers”!
Messengers do not do their own will, but the will of their master!
“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” – John 6:38 (KJV)
Where He sends you should go! What He desires, you should do!
Imagine Matthew the Custom officer following Jesus to the house of Peter the fisherman, a demonstration of love and humility. Or of Peter (a Jew) in the house of Cornelius (a Gentle), a proof of self-denial.
One key to being a good messenger of the Lord is to KILL SHAME!
Kill shame in two areas of your Christian Faith.
(1) Shame of the crucified Saviour.
“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:38 (KJV)
Paul confirms:
“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” – 2 Timothy 1:8 (KJV)
Many do not believe in a suffering Messiah; they are ashamed to be identified with Him. By confession, many acknowledge Him Lord and Master. But in everyday practice, they deny Him, by believing no disciple of His should carry his or her cross. They believe Christianity is a call to “feel good”, a bed of roses, “at least did He not become poor that we might be rich?” they query. (2 Cor. 8:9) A highly misunderstood scripture!
(2) The word.
Many are ashamed of the Word, yet not aware they are. When we chose our own way over the Word of God, we prove our shame for it. The rejection of the Word is a result of having a “better alternative”; a result of our intellectual prowess which we are proud to carry out. Those times we feel the Word limits us and not “befitting” our status.
Again that scripture.
“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:38 (KJV)
Being ashamed of His Word is manifest whenever we disobey. Every disobedience is a mark of pride; a mark of feeling that the Word is not good enough.
Masters do the thinking and issue instructions. Servants and messengers obey. As messengers, our duty is to obey.
“If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;” – Isaiah 1:19 AMP.
As an angel who are you affecting?
We are called to make impact; every true Christin. Not only the “ordained ministers”. How well have you fared?
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The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.” (Proverbs 12:24).
Success in whatever you have chosen to do, does not come without a price. Nothing in life is free! Even Salvation cost God and Jesus something.
How much are you willing to pay for success?
You have to be willing and obedient to eat the fruit of the land.
“If ye are willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:” (Isaiah 1:19).
Success is expensive and if you want it, you have to pay for it!
The price to pay for success is nothing but a resolute determination.
A mountainous determination to succeed is the price to pay. A strong desire to counter disgrace poverty, failure, misfortune, etc, must be put in motion day and night; in thought and in deed.
A resolute determination is a mixture of desire and expectation.
I read a story of people engaged in a week long prayer asking for rain. On the last day of the programme the Minister suddenly realized that not a single person, including himself, came with an umbrella all through the days of the programme. There was no burning desire!
It takes a desperate desire to succeed!
“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” (Proverbs 10:4).
Diligence means hard work. A person who works hard is a diligent person. Laziness, idleness, is not tolerated by a diligent person.
Poverty, like a vagabond, stalks everyone.
It takes diligence, hard work, to keep it at bay.
A diligent person does not need “motivation” to work! Joseph was diligent in the house of Portipher; he did every available and undone work that came to his attention. He needed no external motivation to work. His motivation was from inside. A diligent person works for himself, even if employed. He works almost round the clock, consumed with the passion of the work.
A diligent person places value on the work and derives satisfaction when work is done and done excellently; this fulfillment, the satisfaction that follows a work well done is what he values more than the financial reward.
May we learn to look beyond financial reward and see the worth of the inner reward; a thing money cannot buy!
If people knew there was a place called provision; a place where every need would be met, I believe we would all go there to live.
But is there really a place called provision? A place where needs are met?
To find out, visit:
http://stonesoffire.simdif.com
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