When Jesus submitted himself to baptism by water in the River Jordan he said to John the Baptist that he had to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. It was therefore very significant that after he had gone into the water the heavens were opened and John saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and light upon Jesus and a voice from heaven say This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3 15-17)In this New Year we seek to obtain God’s approval and commendation in all we do. His approval also refers to his acceptance and his favourable regard for us
In seeking to walk in divine approval we must first of all completely devote ourselves and our lives to God .The days of wishy washy half baked compromise filled Christianity must pale out as we seek divine approval on our lives. If the Lord is God then let us serve him with all of our lives .We cannot have his approval if our commitment is not complete. It is indeed a privilege to serve him and if we are going to be the light and the salt of the earth then we must submit fully to his lordship. Joshua gives us a cue when he says As for me and my House we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24 v15) The syndrome of giving excuses for not serving God fully and living as if we are doing God a favour by worshipping him must pass away like a used page in our live which has given way to a new page. For us to have God’s approval we must recognize that he is the potter and we are the clay and he will and should mould us the way he wills. This is what will give practical meaning to our being crucified with Christ and yet living (Galatians 2 v20) Read More...
From the Heart of The General Overseer - A Word For The Week
From The GO's Heart - 47
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function so we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another since we have gifts that differ according to the grace each of us is to exercise them accordingly (Romans 12 v 4-6a) New American Standard.
It is very important to recognize our individual functions in the church as part of God’s order and plan for the growth of his body. Each of these functions comes with specific gifts or graces which are from God. They must however be exercised accordingly. This signifies order and mutual respect. When these gifts are exercised accordingly then the church will be an example of God’s order and will be characterized by steady growth.
When there was murmuring in the early church by the Grecians about the daily distribution of food the apostles delegated authority to 7 deacons to handle this issue (Acts 6 v1-7) This delegation of authority was respected by the people and contributed to the growth and stability of the church. These deacons were filled with the Holy Spirit filled with wisdom and had a good report in the church. They were however ready to submit to the authority of the apostles and carry out the functions they were given.
It is also important to note that due to the order in the early church the number of disciples increased. Disciples by definition are followers and one cannot follow if he does not remain in order .We must follow God’s Word to be his disciples and also follow the decrees and guidelines of the church leadership. As the church is filled with disciples then more people will be won to the Kingdom .This pattern is clearly shown in Acts 6 v7.The Word increased and this led to a multiplication of disciples and then a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith.
God’s Word practiced in our lives will lead to our submission to his authority in the church and this will be one of the signs that we are moving from converts to disciples and this order will enable us touch our world with the power of God Every gift and grace of God must be given expression within the order God has established in his church .This is God’s way to sustaining the vibrancy and relevance of the church. When we respect God’s order in the church we will be faithful disciples, we will be faithful tithers; we will be faithful servants and we will be faithful members