This has been a “soul searching” new year for us. Even more so than other years. I have noticed that in both of us as 2011 came to an end. There has been much silence between us, reflection and conversations of reviewing thoughts and feelings we have, things we have done, thought or said; questioning our motives, etc. As we have pondered that, I believe it surrounds our becoming (marriage) pastors and the great responsibility that comes with that.
Our church pastor has taken the month of January for us as a church to fast, pray and to seek our Lord about the direction for our church for the in-coming year. Upon reading from “through the Bible in a year,” the scripture reading for today struck me, that stated, “Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom. And He healed the people who had every kind of sickness (physical, mental, spiritual) and disease.”- Matthew 4: 23
We know that the Bible says that Jesus came to overcome the world. The “world” here represents everything that is not of heaven (sin, sickness, poverty, etc.). Heaven is perfect; the world, imperfect. Jesus had such compassion for God’s creation (us) in this imperfect world, that He came to bring us hope. Our hope is in Him! He is hope for the hopeless.
As Christians, that baton was been passed to us. We are to bring hope to the hopeless. We are to be the salt and light (to those who need it). We are truth and the life that will set them free. We are holy and righteous representatives for Almighty God, the Christ Jesus. That is what the Bible says of us. So we have been honored, and given a great responsibility to represent Him well to the world. We are privileged to carry such an honor. I want to fulfill that responsibility to the best of my ability, as I know you do too. And the only way to do this, as God would do, is only by His Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
“Not by power nor by might but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”- Zechariah 4:6
So indeed His Holy Spirit alive and active in us is necessary to accomplish the great commission. So Father we ask for Your eyes to see, hear and understand by Your Spirit. Amen.
