SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/11/2017 10:14 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “The Spirit of the Ministry”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Colossians
1:24a
Message of the
verses: “Now I rejoice”
We are talking about the spirit of the ministry which is
rejoicing and have determined that joy is something that happens within a
person and does not determine upon happiness or circumstances.
John MacArthur writes “Joy is generated by humility. People lose their joy when they become
self-centered, thinking they deserve better circumstances or treatment than
they are getting. That was never a
problem for Paul. Like all of God’s
great servants, he was conscious of his unworthiness. Imprisoned in Rome, while other preachers got
the glory, he wrote, ‘Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I
will rejoice’ (Phil. 1:18). Facing the
possibility of martyrdom, he wrote, ‘Even if I am being poured out as a drink
offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my
joy with you all’ (Phil. 2:17).” So we
get the point of how Paul had always felt unworthy of being called by the Lord
for ministry, and so what ever happened to him along the way he had the inward
joy which caused him to serve the Lord no matter what he was going through, as
John MacArthur stated “Joy is generated by humility” and Paul became a very
humble man after the Lord saved him and called him to his ministry.
Not only was this true of Paul, but also of the early
church as well. John MacArthur quotes a
second-century apologist named Aristides who wrote to the Roman emperor
Antonius Pius a description of Christians that said “if any righteous person
from among them passed from this world the Christians would rejoice and give
thanks to God. When a child was born to
Christian parents, they would praise God.
If it died in infancy, according to Aristides, the parents thanked God
even more because the child would be one who had passed through the world
without encountering sin.”
MacArthur concludes “Circumstances, people, and worry are
the thieves that are eager to steal the joy of the ministry. Humility, devotion to Christ, and trust in
God protect the joy that is Christ’s legacy to every Christian (cf. John 1 5:11;
17:13).”
John 15:11 “11 “These things I have spoken to you so that
My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
John 17:13 “13 “But now I come to You; and these things I
speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.”
I find this very easy to understand, but very difficult
to obtain this in my life, praying that God will cause me to have joy in my
ministry and in my life. 2/11/2017 10:30
PM
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