Ministry, 15of15

~ Will We Be Unashamed to Meet Christ Face-To-Face ~

Prolog  ~  “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).  

In this post we look at: SPECIFICS OF OUR SERVICE.

Our God-Assigned Responsibility  ~  Service, or ministry to the body of Christ, is not optional for the Christian—it is something which is expected of a Christian who is walking worthy of his calling (1 Peter 4:10).  At physical birth we were all born with various natural abilities.  At spiritual birth we were all born with various spiritual gifts.  We use both in our labor of ministry to those around us.  Look at some aspects of the realities of our position and calling.

Our Appointment  ~  We serve in Christ’s place as His ambassadors while He is away preparing our future mansions.  “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

Our Task  ~  We are to be consistent in our witness to others about the Truth, even in this day when so many do not believe there is any ultimate truth.  “Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).  “This is the Truth and everyone should accept it.  We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe it, for our hope is in the living God who died for all, and particularly for those who have accepted His salvation” (1 Timothy 4:9-10).

Our Goal  ~  We are to grow in maturity as we work towards enlightening all people about the Truth of Jesus Christ and His saving work for us on the Cross of Calvary.  “We preach about Jesus Christ, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28).  “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.  Instead, speaking the Truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:13-15).

Our Responsibility  ~  We are accountable for making the riches of salvation through Jesus Christ known to those around us.  But it is God Himself who is responsible for the results.  “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

Our Resources  ~  We are “complete in Him” and have been given all we need to accomplish the task which He has given us (see Colossians 2:10 and 2 Peter 1:3).  “If any lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).  “Our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Our Special Helper  ~  The Holy Spirit provides direct assistance as we minister for Him (and in other areas of our lives as well).  “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

Our Tradeoff  ~  We minister on His behalf in response to His love to us—however, it turns out to be a great bargain on our part.  “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Our Reward  ~  God is light and we will be with Him forever without any night or darkness of any kind.  In that day nothing will ever diminish in its brilliance and glory.  “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).  “When the Chief Shepherd appears, we will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).

CONTEMPLATE:  Since God has provided all of this to help us accomplish the tasks He has given us, what excuse could we give for not following through when we meet Him who gave His all for us?  

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

2nd Coming, 8of11

~ The Day of the Lord ~

Introduction  ~  Biblical prophecy is a lot like a giant jigsaw puzzle.  The creators of each have provided a clear picture of the end result.  As the puzzle is being put together, the completion is increasingly anticipated.  However, the placement, sequence, and timing of the remaining pieces is not as clear.  This series of posts would be better entitled Remaining Future Events; however, Second Coming (or Second Advent) is the common terminology which tends to lump a wide range of future events together.

Judgement For Period of Time  ~  “The Day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up—and it shall be brought low—upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up; upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall; upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all the beautiful sloops.  The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that Day, but the idols He shall utterly abolish.  They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily.  In that Day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made, each for himself to worship, to the moles and bats, to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the crags of the rugged rocks, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily” (Isaiah 2:12-21).  “But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

Judgement Will Come Suddenly  ~  “For you yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).  “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.  Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3). 

Judgement Upon Christ Rejecters  ~  “In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10).  “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12).  

Judgement Upon The Antichrist  ~  “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?  And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).  “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.  Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.  These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:19-20).

Judgement of Apostate Christianity  ~  “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’  So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness.  And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.  The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.  And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.  I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.  And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.”  …  

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!  For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’  And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.  For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.  Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.  In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, “I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.”  Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine.  And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her’” … 

“Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.  The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore.  No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.  The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore.  For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.  And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth’” (Revelation 17:1-6, 18:1-8, 21-24 – see all of chapters 17-18).

Judgement Upon Satan  ~  “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.  But after these things he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:1-3).  

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .