READ: ACTS 8:1-8
“I am crucified with Christ;
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now
live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Some Christians have never tasted crucifixion. Is your flesh still ruling you as it did before you became born again? Do you spend much time nurturing your flesh at the expense of your spiritual growth? Some believers give the Lord conditions. They may promise to serve Him as long as He allows them to dress, eat, and behave the way they like. If there is no change in your life since you knew the Lord, your salvation is questionable. The Christian life is a life of the Spirit. You cannot live in the Spirit while still walking in the lust of the flesh.
Our missionary in Kuwait is a chartered accountant. He wanted to take the gospel to Kuwait and discovered that there was only one possible way. Somebody wanted to employ a cleaner and he grabbed that job offer so that he could legally gain entry into that country and be able to preach the gospel. If your flesh is not dead, you will not accept such an offer.
Another reason your flesh must die is that loss is the way to gain. Matthew 10:39 says, “He that finds his life shall lose it; and he that loses his life for My sake shall find it”. Many churches have not multiplied because their leaders are afraid to lose members. Some workers do not want to leave the headquarters because of the level of comfort it affords them. But Proverbs 11:24 says you can scatter and yet increase. Whether you like it or not God wants us to scatter. If you do not scatter willingly, God will scatter you forcefully. If you do not scatter, you cannot achieve your potentials. When workers are staying too long in a parish, some may begin to fight the pastor or tell everyone the history of that church. What they are indirectly telling the pastorate is that it is time to scatter them. By the time they are sent to new parishes, all the noise brought about by the flesh will cease. The home church will be at peace while such workers will have opportunity to develop themselves because of their new challenges. As a leader, are you building an empire around yourself or you are following God’s mandate to scatter? It is better to scatter peacefully and willingly than for God Himself to forcefully scatter you like He did to the Early Church.
Some Christians have never tasted crucifixion. Is your flesh still ruling you as it did before you became born again? Do you spend much time nurturing your flesh at the expense of your spiritual growth? Some believers give the Lord conditions. They may promise to serve Him as long as He allows them to dress, eat, and behave the way they like. If there is no change in your life since you knew the Lord, your salvation is questionable. The Christian life is a life of the Spirit. You cannot live in the Spirit while still walking in the lust of the flesh.
Our missionary in Kuwait is a chartered accountant. He wanted to take the gospel to Kuwait and discovered that there was only one possible way. Somebody wanted to employ a cleaner and he grabbed that job offer so that he could legally gain entry into that country and be able to preach the gospel. If your flesh is not dead, you will not accept such an offer.
Another reason your flesh must die is that loss is the way to gain. Matthew 10:39 says, “He that finds his life shall lose it; and he that loses his life for My sake shall find it”. Many churches have not multiplied because their leaders are afraid to lose members. Some workers do not want to leave the headquarters because of the level of comfort it affords them. But Proverbs 11:24 says you can scatter and yet increase. Whether you like it or not God wants us to scatter. If you do not scatter willingly, God will scatter you forcefully. If you do not scatter, you cannot achieve your potentials. When workers are staying too long in a parish, some may begin to fight the pastor or tell everyone the history of that church. What they are indirectly telling the pastorate is that it is time to scatter them. By the time they are sent to new parishes, all the noise brought about by the flesh will cease. The home church will be at peace while such workers will have opportunity to develop themselves because of their new challenges. As a leader, are you building an empire around yourself or you are following God’s mandate to scatter? It is better to scatter peacefully and willingly than for God Himself to forcefully scatter you like He did to the Early Church.
MEMORIZE: ACTS
8:4 –Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the
word.
