Rhapsody of Realities 20 November
SCRIPTURE: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).
In the New Testament, you’d observe that the word “minister” is copiously used. It’s however important to note that there’re three Greek words from which it’s translated. The first one is “doulos,” which is like a servant or a slave. Paul sometimes called himself a “doulos” (a bondservant)—a slave or servant of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1).
Then another Greek word for “minister” is “hupēretēs,” which refers to the office of ministry, like we find in thestory of the conversion of the Apostle Paul on his way to Damascus. During that conversion, Jesus said to Paul, “…for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen…” (Acts 26:16).
Jesus appeared to Paul and called him into an office of ministry. We also find the same word in 1 Corinthians4:1: “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers (hupēretēs) of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.”
Read Yesterday’s Rhapsody of Realities Here
However, the third meaning of the word “minister” is the one every Christian has been called into, “Diakonia” (Greek), which refers to a person who serves, like someone who’s a waiter. In Acts 6:4, it was used to describe the ministry of the Word: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” We all have the responsibility to be servants of Christ, servants of His message and of one another. You have a responsibility to be a witness for Christ, to deliver the Gospel to other people.
God has made you a competent minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV). So, go wild for the Lord! Open your mouth and declare His Word of salvation boldly anywhere you find yourself. He’s counting on you.
CONFESSION: Thank you, Father, for counting me faithful and worthy to be a minister of reconciliation. I’m passionate about the Gospel, and I preach it with boldness to everyone in my world, catapulting sinners from the domain of darkness into your Kingdom of light, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
2 Timothy 4:1-2
I charge [you] in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who is to judge the living and the dead, and by (in the light of) His coming and His kingdom:
2 Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging andencouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.
1 Corinthians 9:16
16 For if I [merely] preach the Gospel, that gives me no reason to boast, for I feel compelled of necessity to do it. Woe is me if I do not preach the glad tidings (the Gospel)!
2 Corinthians 3:6
6 [It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the Law] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive.
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: James 3:14-4:1-12 & Ezekiel 22-23
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 5:1-21 & Daniel 5-6
Thank you for studying today’s Rhapsody of Realities – We’re Ministers of Reconciliation – written by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
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Rhapsody of Realities 20 November 2022
