Stewardship, 4of4

 ~ 3 Key Responsibilities of Godly Stewardship ~

 

Work For His Name  ~  “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church.  If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.  We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth” (3 John 5-8). 

 

Witness About His Truth  ~  “And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’” (Acts 1:7-8). 

 

Watch For His Coming  ~  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:32-37).  

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Stewardship, 3of4

 ~ 7 Key Resources of Godly Stewardship ~

 

The Commission  ~  “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’  Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20). 

 

The Preparation  ~  “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).   

 

The Responsibility  ~  “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’  He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’  He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’  He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’  He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’  He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’  He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’  Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’  And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep’” (John 21:15-17).

 

The Motivation  ~  “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). 

 

The Attitude  ~  “Those who sow in tears [somberness] shall reap in joy.  He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6). 

 

The Power  ~  “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6). “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).   

 

The Rewards  ~  “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away’” (Matthew 25:26-29). 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Spiritual Gifts, 35

 ~ The Spiritual Gift of Tongues ~

 

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

 

Category  ~  A sign gift related to speaking or interpreting unknown languages. 

 

Definition  ~  A supernatural ability regarding an unlearned language.  The New Testament word translated “tongues” is equivalent in our society as a “language.”  The key factor to keep in mind is that it refers to an “unknown” or “unlearned” language.

The New Testament clearly shows two varieties of the gift of tongues: speaking in tongues and interpretation of what was spoken in tongues. 

 

Purpose  ~  There is significant division within Christianity regarding tongues and specifically the role of tongues in the Church today. 

The purpose of tongues is an extremely important in discussing the subject of Biblical tongues.  A careful examination of the New Testament passages dealing with tongues clearly reveals that tongues were a sign not for believers but for unbelievers.  In fact there is one undeniable statement to this effect: “Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe” (1 Corinthians 14:22).

 

Scripture  ~  There are several references to tongues in the New Testament, the most complete being 1 Corinthians 12-14 (note the summary statement above in the previous paragraph).  There are other references including (Mark 16:17 and in the Book of Acts specifically Acts 2:3-4, 11, 10:46, 19:6). 

 

Additional Note  ~  In all three accounts of tongues in the New Testament it was during the institution of the dispensation of grace. 

(1)  On the Day of Pentecost -- the Gospel to the nation of Israel.

(2)  At the home of Cornelius – the Gospel to the Gentiles.

(3)  At Ephesus – the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.

 

Closing Comments  ~  “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

“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).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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