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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
Overcoming
the
Enemies
of
Health
QUESTIONS?
COMMENTS!
Email M.E.A.
Better than the Blood
of
Bulls and Goats
FROM THE
CROSS TO THE RAPTURE
(Our part in the New Covenant)
SERVE AND SHARE
LESSON SIXTEEN
Romans 12:1 "I
appeal to you, brethren, and beg of you inview of all the mercies of God,
to make a decisive dedication of your bodies -- presenting all your
members and faculties -- as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted and consecrated)
and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent)
service and spiritual worship".
What does God want? He wants us to serve others and share the good news with others. We are the hands, feet and voice of God in this world. Praising God with our lives (presenting our bodies) is being willing to let Him mold and shape us into the image of His own dear Son.
What was His own dear Son like? We like the part that says He was healthy and always had plenty, we like the part that says He is a king seated in glory by the right hand of the Father. Isn't that wonderful? Praise God. But what about the part where it says He went about doing good, delivering those who were oppressed of the devil. How about the washing of the dirty feet?
Every notice how huffy we can get about menial jobs. Huh! I'm not called to clean the toilets at the church, that's someone else's job. For sure! Whenever we find ourselves at a place where something needs to be done, whatever it is, we need to remind ourselves that God wasn't to high and mighty to come down from glory, put on one of our earth suits (our bodies) and do the lowly task. If He wasn't, why do we think we are greater than the Lord. Why do we think we are to important to do what He did?.
There are so many ways to serve others, the young mother who needs a few hours to herself. The young father who needs help with car repair. The older folks who may need a ride to the grocery store or help with tax reports. The teenager who needs another adult to talk to. The Sunday school teacher who needs a Sunday off. The neighbor in the hospital may need their grass cut. If we open our hearts and our eyes, we will see many opportunities to serve. Jesus said, "Give a cup of cold water in my name and he who would be greatest in the kingdom of God, let him be servant of all."
One of the greatest services we can do for others is to encourage them to go higher. We can do this by our own example and attitude about life. We are the best read bible in town, our actions frequently speak louder than our words. Many have been inspired to trust God by someone who walked upright before Him. Barnabas was known as the son of encouragement. He accepted and believed in Paul when no one else would. We can do the same for others and encourage them with words that lift up a standard for them to reach for. The men who followed David, were outlaws and outcasts, until David dared to believe in them. Then they became David's mighty men. We can be like Job, whose friends said of him,
Job 4:3-4 Moffatt Trans. "You have yourself set many right, and put strength into feeble souls; your words have kept men on their feet, the weak kneed you have nerved."
Ephesians 4:1 amp. "I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the (divine) calling to which you have been called--with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service."
Imagine there is ice on the road and it's midnight. The telephone rings and we hear a voice saying, "My car is broken down. I don't know anyone else to call, will you help me?" If joy springs up inside of us, at the prospect of this opportunity to serve, we are very unusual people. Not likely, is it? Most of us will go and later, be glad we did. But we don't ordinarily jump for joy and say, "Oh! glory to God, another opportunity to serve." Of course we don't mind being on the receiving end, but serving others is not a natural desire of our flesh. In fact, left to our own desires, we might go to the Bahamas and live on the beach. Do nothing but swim, lay in the sun, and eat tropical fruits. Sounds great, but that is not what God has called us to do. It is an established rule of God for us to serve others and share the Gospel. Ephesians 4:11 amp. "And His gifts were (varied; He himself appointed and gave men to us.) some to be apostles (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries) some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers. His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people). {that they should do} the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church)."
Who is it that is to serve and share? A lot of us think it is the pastor's job. Isn't that what we pay them to do? Wrong! The saints (people of God) are to do the work of the ministry. The pastor's job is to feed the people of God the word of God. To restore, build up and now and then give us a verbal smack on our backsides in order to get us moving. Its the sheep, the people of God's pasture, that have other sheep.
The five fold ministries are to do things that will cause the sheep to be perfected, so they will be healthy enough to give birth.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;"
If we think that we are not called to serve and share, we are mistaken. The Lord has called everyone of us into the ministry of reconciliation and He always equips those that He calls.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life."
Paul is speaking. Please understand, what God does for one, He will do for the other. He is not a respecter of persons. Repeat aloud, I am the other.
For us to say, "I can't witness, is to repeat a lie of the devil, because THE WORD says He has equipped us and qualified us, made us fit and worthy as ministers of the New Covenant. 2 Cor.3:5-6 amp.
Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;"
Jesus said, As the Father has sent me, so send I you. What did the Father send Jesus to do? The Father anointed Him, sent Him to preach the good news, the gospel to the poor, to announce relief to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, deliver those who are oppressed, down trodden, crushed and broken down by calamity, proclaim the accepted year of the Lord, the day when the salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound. Those are our orders. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us. He has appointed us. As the Father sent Him, He sends us.
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Math 28:18-20 is our power of attorney to act in Jesus stead. The power was given to Jesus and He gave it to us. We are to teach the people all, not just part. Our part is to teach all and believe, God's part is to perform His word. We don't have to worry about the results. Everyone will not receive the results, salvation came and everyone did not receive it; but it is still our responsibility to tell people about salvation. We are to believe it is done and speak the words of life. The rest is up to God.
John 14:12 amp. "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you. If any one steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
Jesus never asks us to do anything He hasn't already done. He said, I love the Father and I keep His commandments. Go, serve and share. What ever we find, we are to do with all our might. As unto the Lord, not as unto man. It is an established rule of God for us to go, serve and share.
How do we get to the place where we can fulfill this rule? We start by repenting for not having obeyed this rule up to the present time.
James 4:8-10 amp. "Come close to God and He will come close to you. (Recognize that you are) sinners, get your soiled hands clean: (realize that you have been disloyal) wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts (of your spiritual adultery). As you draw near to God be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep over your disloyalty... Humble yourselves, feeling very insignificant, in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. He will lift you up and make your lives significant."
Overcoming
the
Enemies
of
Health
QUESTIONS?
COMMENTS!
Email M.E.A.
We ask forgiveness, we receive forgiveness and we lay aside our past failures.
When we wallow around in the past failure of our lives we become non-effective.
It's okay to look at a failure long enough to say I don't want to do that
anymore, but we are not to hang on to it until it becomes a millstone around
our necks. There is no future until we let go of the past. Forgetting those
things which are behind, Press forward toward the mark of the high calling
of the Lord Jesus Christ. That high calling is to do what He did Himself.
If we don't do what He has sent us to do, it's because we don't trust Him. When you were little, someone probably tried to teach you how to float in water. They very likely took you into the water, and held out their arms with you laid across them. Do you recall the tense feeling? Remember how you clung to those arms fearful they would let you go. We were tense because we didn't have trust in the situation. We were sure we would sink. When we serve God, we can trust and we can float, because the everlasting arms are underneath us. When we step out on the water and keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus, we will not sink. When He says come, we will walk in places were we did not think we could walk.
The angel came to Mary and said to her, don't be afraid, listen, you will become pregnant. Luke 1:30-31 That is exactly what God is saying to us today. We must be pregnant with a vision of people who are hurting. The messengers of God are still saying do not fear. We must not be afraid, hear the word of the Lord, become pregnant and then give birth. Spiritual children of God will be born into the kingdom of God because of our labor of love.
The word of God was spoken to me one night in my own living room. It was the spoken word of God that caused me to throw up my hands and cry, "What must I do to be saved." The people who were talking to me were not eloquent people. It was difficult for them to do, but they knew they were called to share. Boldness has absolutely nothing to do with personalities. In the natural we maybe shy, but spiritually we are able to be bold. Proverbs 28:1 says the righteous are as bold as a lion. Are we righteous? Of course we are, we are righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Cor.5:21 We personally have found favor and grace with God. Luke 1:30
John 14:21 amp. "The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who (really) loves Me, and whoever (really) loves Me will be loved by My Father. And I (too) will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him...I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him."
THE RULE, know His commands and keep them.
THE RESULT, Jesus will reveal himself to us.
Jesus is Lord of the Harvest, and every person is a soul winner. We can share what we know with others. We can say, "This I know, I once was dead, but now am alive. Tell them there is a way, and He is the truth, He came so they could have life and have it more abundantly. Share...... Jesus came and He raised me from the dead. If He did it for me, He will do it for you. Do you want life? His name is Jesus.
It is an established rule of God that we go, serve and share. If we would be blessed, we must obey.
Acts 20:32 "And now, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."
End:
Better than the Blood of
Bulls and Goats
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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
Last Update:
March 1, 2006
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