Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2Corinthians 5:16-18 NIV).

At the heart of the gospel is the message is reconciliation. Jesus came in the form of humanity so that he could feel what we felt, experience the pain of rejection and still fulfil the task for which he was sent. Some may argue that because he was God, that is why he could do this.  But scripture states that he was also fully human (Philippians 2:5-11) and hence he flinched at the thought of dying a painfully excruciating death. This is why he said ‘not my will but yours father be done’ in the garden of Gethsemane.

 Many of us go through life not fulfilling our purposes because we are afraid or reluctant to let go and let God! We want to be in control. Everything we do is about us. How much can I make, what’s in for me and how can I ensure that people notice me.

 It would have been easy for Jesus to become part of the ‘me too’ generation. He could have asked people to donate to his ministry so that he could go around the world in his private jet preaching the gospel or he would send them a prayer handkerchief or some holy water if they only sent in so much money or become partners with him. He could have built a big house on the top of a hill with swimming pool and all the mod-cons, remember he was a carpenter, so he could brad about it on ‘tele’.

However, he did none of those things and chose to humble himself, give up everything he had, his power, authority and dominion so that you and I can be reconciled to God the father once we put our faith, hope and trust in him.

There is nothing wrong in having things, just ensure that things don’t have you! Today ask Jesus to help you to be humble so that you can be reconciled with those who you are estranged from and that the pain of the past will slowly ebb away.

 Let us pray. Dear Father, Thank you for your example, please help me to be humble irrespective of what I have or own. It all belongs to you anyway since you gave it to me to look after, in Jesus’ name Amen.

 Read Matthew 25:14-30