Page 6 - Good News August 2018 paper

any believers today find experience, the excitement of God mature us spiritually, it is only a conceptual in our lives, becomes a
themselves in a state of meeting our needs supernaturally portion of His plan. functioning part of us. Until the
Mweariness. In fact, an consumed most of us. Just as a Word of God becomes an integral
accurate description of much of newborn receives all of his Doing the Work part of our actions as well as our
the Church would be anemic. sustenance, both physically and The first type of meat that Jesus thoughts, so that it becomes our first
emotionally, from nursing at his outlined was doing the Father's nature, we will only be theoretical
Anemia is characterised by list- mother's breast, so we are fulfilled will. God's will is revealed in His believers. We must go beyond theory
lessness and weakness. Physically, in receiving all that we need from Word. So, being a hearer of His to reality!
anemia can be caused by a failure God. Word is important. But, as James
to get enough iron in our food, pointed out, if we are only hearers The world has seen and been
often arising from a lack of meat in The problem is that many enjoyed and not doers, then we are in self- repulsed by a Church that
our diet. the comfort and security of the deception (James 1:22). professes grand concepts while
Father's breast too much to contradicting those with our lives.
In the same way, many are mature, and wanted to remain in However, when we become doers Just as Jesus, by His life, drew the
spiritually anemic because they that comfort zone. However, the of the Word, God's ways become hurting and oppressed to the
have not partaken of the meat that time has come that we mature to engrafted into our souls. We begin Father, so we will draw them as we
Jesus spoke of - doing the will of the the place where we desire to be not to grow by receiving His power in begin to do that which we have
Father and finishing His work! only recipient, but a source of order to perform His Word. No believed. The Word must become
blessing to others. amount of teaching we receive can flesh in us!
Our failure to be engaged in doing substitute for the growth that
the Father's will and work has This mindset of passively recei- comes as we begin to obey the The second thing that Jesus
indeed left the Church weak and ving ministry has desperately teaching we have already heard. declared as being His meat, was
immature. In fact, many believers weakened the Church in Western This is primary to our maturity - finishing the work God had given
would mature more spiritually in society. Part of the problem arises doing the will of the Father. Him to do. Each of us is created for
six months by beginning to do the because we dwell in the midst of a a purpose. Contrary to some
work of the ministry than they consumer-orientated culture and Consider John's statement concer- popular teachings, Adam was not
have in six years of simply recei- have allowed ourselves to be con- ning Jesus in John 1:14 - “And the solely created to have intimacy
ving ministry. formed to our world. In fact, it Word was made flesh and dwelt with God. He was also created to
would be fair to say that the among us, (and we beheld His glory, accomplish a purpose and fulfil a
It is imperative that we recognise majority of our Church members the glory as of the only begotten of mandate (Genesis 1:26-28). Until
this truth - while we need to hear are simply looking for better the Father), full of grace and we discover our purpose and begin
God's voice to live, we must do His teaching to help them grow truth.” It is time that the Word is to accomplish that which we were
will in order to grow and mature. spiritually. While it is true that made flesh in us as well: just as created for, we will remain imma-
understanding correct doctrine Jesus contained the complete ture at best. Seek God's purpose for
Consumers or Producers? and receiving in-depth teaching concept of all that God is in flesh, it your life and start acting on His
In the early days of our Christian are a part of God's methods to is time that that which has been revelation! - Steve Thompson

o person, apart from Road. Paul personally met Jesus more time convincing the Gen-
Jesus Himself, shaped the Christ, and his life was never the tiles that they were acceptable to
Nhistory of Christianity like same! God. The lives Paul touched were
the apostle Paul. changed and challenged by
Until Paul's conversion, little had meeting Christ through him.
Even before he was a believer, his been done about carrying the
actions were significant. His Gospel to non-Jews. Philip had God did not waste any part of Paul
frenzied persecution of Chris- preached in Samaria and to an - his background, his training, his
tians following Stephen's death Ethiopian man; Cornelius, a citizenship, his mind, or even his
got the Church started in obeying Gentile, was converted under weaknesses. Are you willing to let
Christ's final command to take Peter; and in Antioch in Syria, God do the same for you? You will
the Gospel worldwide. Paul's some Greeks had joined the never know all He can do with you
personal encounter with Jesus believers. When Barnabas was until you allow Him to have all that
changed his life! He never lost his sent from Jerusalem to check on you are!
fierce intensity, but from then on this situation, he went to Tarsus to
it was channelled for the Gospel. find Paul and bring him to God does not waste our time - He
Antioch, and together they will use our past and present so
Paul was very religious. His worked among the believers that we may serve Him with our
training under Gamaliel was the there. They were then sent on a future!
finest available. His intentions missionary journey, the first of - Life Application Bible, 1988,
en.wikipedia.org
and efforts were sincere. He was three Paul would take, that would Tyndale House Publishers.
a good Pharisee, knew the Bible, carry the Gospel across the
and sincerely believed that this Roman Empire.
Christian Movement was dange-
rous to Judaism. Thus Paul hated The thorny issue of whether
the Christian faith and perse- Gentile believers had to obey
cuted Christians without mercy. Jewish laws before they could
Paul got permission to travel to become Christians caused many
Damascus to capture Christians problems in the early Church.
and bring them back to Jerusa- Paul worked hard to convince the
lem. But God stopped him in his Jews that Gentiles were accep-
hurried tracks on the Damascus table to God, but he spent even