Posted by
The Word Warrior on Friday, July 06, 2007 6:41:31 AM
When you consider the fact that in a world of 6.5 billion people, over 2 billion are Christians (that’s one out of every 3 persons on this planet) and only God knows how many apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (APEPT) are amongst them, the question must be posed to all Christians in general but to APEPTs in particular:
"HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?"
"IT" meaning a lot of things: Firstly, to reach a dying world with the good news - the gospel of the kingdom. Again, the question is asked, "are you aware of the fact that there is only ONE prerequesite, ONE stipulation, ONE task, One requirement (of Christians) in order that THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT JESUS WAS SENT BY GOD? All that Jesus asks of us and prayed fervently to God for us is that "Christians become ONE, as He and His Father are ONE."
This is the prayer that Jesus prayed:
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU SENT ME. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that THE WORLD MAY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SENT ME, and have loved them as You have loved Me.....John 17:20-23
If a three pronged cord cannot easily be broken, can you imagine what the strength of a 2 billion pronged cord would represent? A strength that could eventually become a 6.5 billion pronged cord.
Two billion people hearing from God; the Word of God being the final authority in their lives. Doing greater things than Jesus did in His name and authority; healing the sick, helping the poor, overtaken by blessings, successful in businesses, in their marriages, walking as spiritual giants in a world of grasshoppers.
"HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?"
Do we want it bad enough to put aside our fleshly differences and grow together in the spirit in order that Christ may dwell in our hearts through love? If the church were one, it would n't matter whose church was larger, since He is the vine and we are all branches? It would n't matter who had the fish, who had the bread nor how many had to be fed. Then we (who are physically and mentally capable of working) would be obedient to the Word which said, "if a man does not work he should not eat"and like the ant who has no ruler we would gather our food in the summer for the winter: Working while it's day.
Can you imagine what the world would become if people who have no qualms about killing themselves and others in their desire to change other people's beliefs, somehow came to the realization that Jesus is Lord, and truly believed the power they then possessed in Christ, would not only be greatly enhanced if they united as one, but that by so doing the world would believe that Jesus was sent by God? Violence and premature death would no longer be an option for them.
Can you imagine what the world would become if Christians (to whom killing themselves was never an option), who KNOW that Jesus is Lord, "truly believed" that the power they possess in Christ is greatly enhanced when they unite as one, and that by so doing the world would believe that Jesus was sent by God?
The Church cannot continue to deny the Power of God while at the same time claiming to be Godly.
All of creation is groaning, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God!
HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
One evangelist says that he has prayed to God for one million partners in order that he may reach one billion people for Christ. A noble goal indeed. The problem is that God - so loved the world (all 6.5 billion), that (before the foundations of the world), God had already partnered with Christ (His only Son) in order that the world could be reached, be safe and live forever. The moral of the story is that one million partners (or twenty million dollars monthly) might be difficult for you, My earthly son, therefore, What I will do, once and for all, is pay with the precious blood of My Son, for not just one billion people but all mankind.....and when My Son is lifted up (literally and figuratively speaking) He will draw ALL people to Himself. It's not what partners send to us that will help us to reach one billion people; it's the Gospel we impart to them, perfecting them for the work of the ministry and they, by the sheer value of their numbers will edify the body of Christ.
Actually one of them has only to reach two unsaved people and the whole world would be saved, since there are 2 billion Christians trying to reach 4.5 billion non-christians.
There is a line in a rock opera about a superstar which says,
"if you'd come today you could have reached the whole nation
did n't you know 4 B.C. had no mass communication"
Yet Jesus Christ has reached more people, affected more lives, inspired more books about Himself than anyone in history and all (the people) He had to work with were twelve partners (and one of them was a traitor). He built His Church on a rock that was so strong that in one of the earliest open-air sermons ever preached 5000 people were saved. Now that He has died for us, lives in us and has empowered us to do greater things than He did, what are we going to do with the mass communication tools available to us?
Here's what we should do: Preach the WORD, fulfil our ministries, convince, rebuke, exhort. We should always be ready to tell the world what is the reason for the "hope" that is in us while avoiding fables and discussions that pull us away from the Truth
"HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?"
Do we want it bad enough to have one faith, knowing that there is one Lord, one God, one Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all of us? Are we willing to run the risk of getting before God and being told by God, "you are not the answer to my Son's prayer?"
Remember, when we are one, we will love each other, and that, my fellow Christians is Jesus' prerequisite for us belonging to Him!
LIGHT and EASY, what more can we ask for?
JisLOML