Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I Have Equipped You


2Corinthians 5:13 - If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. (The Message)  


Jesus came humbly to earth, down from His seat at the right hand of God. He came to show the world that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. He gathered men from the four corners of society...laborers (fishermen), "office" workers (tax collector, banker), very well educated (physician), even a political activist (Peter), among others whose occupations are not divulged, to become his disciples.  


You see, He made friends with all sorts of people. You see again, He comes not for the destitute or "really bad" sinner, but for all people. He mingled with sinners and spiritual leaders of the day. It was His mission to touch the lives of all people.  


When Jesus knew it was time for His ministry to end, to give His life for all, He commissioned these men. He had groomed them. On the job training. He gave them His Word. Now it was time for them to go out knowing what they had seen and heard from their Master and Teacher and continue to teach. He told them if people persecuted Him, they too would certainly be persecuted (John 15:20), just for believing in Him, for carrying out His ministry, for being His followers, for using the same words He spoke.  


Jesus was the Word. And His Spirit wrote the Word (Bible). We have that same Word at our fingertips, as well as His Spirit within us, to learn from. If we are equipped with the Word, the Word and God's Spirit, we are well armed. One of the battle weapons in this world is the sword of the Spirit, His Word. You might picture a preacher with his hand held high holding his Bible to make a point. He's wielding the the sword.


Should we be any different today? If we have understood, been face to face with the reality of our own sin, received Christ and now know that our own sins have been forgiven, shouldn't we also share this forgiveness with others, try to reach them for their own moment of forgiveness through the healing power of Christ?  


If we are in Christ we are His followers and disciples. We are to do as the disciples of His day. Be about His business of introducing others to Jesus, that they may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, [to] attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)  


I have been equipped, like these men. I am crazy about the Lord; knowing Him is exciting. His Spirit resides in me. The way I serve my God is not like everyone else. I still am my own person, with my own style, my own way of speaking. It's only wrong if I am telling untruths, if my words do not line up with the Word of God. Am I always right. No. Am I always gentle in my speech? No. But I know without a doubt that what the Lord has placed in me I would like more people to understand so they might know Christ. And sometimes this has to come in serious times...times of difficulty for others. Why? Because lives depend on it. And He is opening a door.  


He has equipped me. We are all equipped if we know the Lord, whether our speech is flowery or plain. It just doesn't matter. He knows what works. It doesn’t matter where we are witnesses. And if someone doesn't quite agree with the way I say something or the way I do something because they wouldn’t do it like me, well, we are who we are. The Lord can use us in any way, even if it isn't perfect. As long as He gets glorified and His name is pronounced or announced.


2Corinthians 11:1 - Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly--and indeed you do bear with me.

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