FRIDAY 24TH FEB.,2017

TOPIC: BELOVED MINISTER, HOW ARE YOU DOING? (1)
TEXT: Matthew 18:12 “How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?….”

Have you considered yourself as a minister? It sounds strange! Every Christian is called to be a minister. You and I have a role to play in God’s kingdom. You mustn’t be in full time ministry to preach, teach, visit or lead a church but, Jesus resurrection- the foundation of our faith confers on you as a minister of God. (1Cor. 15:1-4). Picture your role in this scenario. When a traveler was robbed and left to die on the Jericho Road, Jesus said, ‘A… priest…Likewise a Levite…passed by on the other side’ (Luke 10:31-32 ). That sounds cold, doesn’t it? What if they overlooked the man not because they lacked compassion, but, they were late for a Bible study or a board meeting or with the security challenge of fear of the unknown in the world today would they have been justified? ‘Do you know broken lives by the roadside rarely fit into the agenda of many Christians.. Love isn’t efficient; it can’t also be scheduled. This hurting man couldn’t have waited three weeks for an appointment, or for the Samaritan to launch a ministry of care to similar victims.’ Life’s most rewarding experiences rarely come in neat little packages. They’re found in unexpected encounters, and at critical times in the lives of people. In fact, some people who can’t remember your last sermon can tell you in detail what you said to them in the hospital, or over a trying period, because it touched them so personally.. Jesus said, ‘If a [shepherd] has a hundred sheep, and one…is lost…Won’t he…go…search for the lost one?’ When Peter said, ‘Lord…I love you,’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep’ (John 21:16). Child of God, look up to Jesus; be led by His Spirit, walk also in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust thereof. He will truly show you how to truly minister to the needs of the afflicted or hurting without being hurt.

MEDITATION: 2 Cor 2:12-14

BIBLE STUDY
Exodus 7; Luke 10; Job 24; 1 Cor.11