A Serving Church Invests Time in the Kingdom
The scriptures teach us about the “gift” God has given to us. John 4:10 records Jesus saying to the Samaritan woman, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” Acts 2:38 and 10:5 teaches of receiving the “gift” of the Holy Spirit. Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12 provide lists of Spiritual gifts. And one of my favorites, Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” While a gift is free to the recipient, there is still cost involved for the giver. 1 Cor. 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” When we receive such a priceless gift we hold the responsibility to guard and protect that gift. Think about the way a young man holds his great grandmothers engagement ring longing to give it to the young woman he is committing his life to. He doesn’t just throw it about, he protects it, he gazes at it, he sees his future in it, he sees his son passing it on to his potential bride, he cherishes it and shows it to his friends and let’s them know about this incredible woman he is about to share this gift with. Is this how we handle the gift God has given us?
When Christ, Who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory,” Colossians 3:4. I love this golden nugget passage. When Christ, Who is your life!!! What a powerful statement. Jesus is not only our Sunday morning inspiration, He is not only our healer, He is not only our comfort in times of trouble, HE IS OUR LIFE. He is the reason we do everything we do. He is deeply involved and invested in us. God has given us the Holy Spirit as a GUARANTEE for our inheritance. Who has ever given you a gift that has a guarantee with it. There is no threat of us mixing our religion with our politics because Jesus is our politics. Because of Him we are to be the best citizens, the best employees, the husbands and wives, the best children, the best friends, the best at everything we are because we do what we do because HE IS OUR LIFE. God doesn’t want a tithe of your time, nor does He want an offering of your time, HE WANTS YOUR LIFE!!!
We are not only the hands and feet of Jesus. We are also His eyes, His mouth, His ears, His heart, His toes and fingers, His hair, eyelashes, teeth, elbow, knee...we are the body of Christ. His church carries out the workings that are needed to reach a world that is in need of a Savior. When meeting needs through works God has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10) ministry occurs and spiritual doors are open that can lead to spiritual healing of those being ministered to. But it takes time. God desires our time. Are we being faithful to God in LIVING for Him?
In Christ,
Randall Hamer