datethewordtest

Tag: January 28

  • From Our Hands To His Hands

    1 Samuel 1:28 ““Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.”

    I am a father I have 4 children and with each child, my wife and I, following the example of Hannah, placed each child in the hands of God. We believed they belonged to Him.  Then knowing they belonged to God we trained them to know God and to follow the teachings of Scripture on how to behave. 

    As they grew we also believed we were training them to be used by the Lord.  Being guided by Judges 13:12  we sought to ask what Manoah asked when he asked the Lord about Samson, “What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?

    We also wanted to be like Zebedee who when Jesus called his sons to follow Him Zebedee let them go.  (Matthew 4:21  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22  and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.)

    Have you followed the example of Hannah and placed your children in God’s hands for His use?  

    Continue Strong dedicating ourselves and our children to the Lord,
    And Remember to Date the Word

  • The Apostle Paul’s Mission Statement for his Ministry

    Colossians 1:28 “We proclaim Christ Jesus, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

    The Apostle Paul will give several mission statements for his life  For instance, “For me to live is Christ.” (Phil. 1:21) or “My ambition is to be well pleasing to Him.” (2 Cor. 5:9) Or “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24).  

    As well he gives mission statements for his ministry such as from Colossians 1:28. Paul says here his mission is first and foremost proclaim Christ as He is the only way for a person to be saved.  With a person saved he wants to then “present everyone mature in Christ.”  In order for fellow believers to go from being a newborn to a child to becoming spiritually mature he tells of two specific actions that he takes.  Let’s notice these actions so we can also do it.

    For maturity to be achieved Paul says he issues warnings as well as imparts wisdom.  

    As warnings are issues and received and wisdom is imparted and applied you will see a believer becoming mature.  

    For example notice Ephesians 4:28.  Paul writes to those who were thieves and issues first a warning and then wisdom.  He writes, “Let the thief no longer steal,” That is the warning.  Stop stealing!  He continues with wisdom. “But rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”  

    As we ponder Paul’s mission of presenting one mature we should consider what maturity looks like.  For a person to be known as mature we would say they have become responsible. The mature know there are things that don’t do, and they don’t do them and there are things that they do and they do them. They listen and they learn and live! They heed the warnings and hear the wisdom.  They acquire wisdom and they apply wisdom! 

    Let’s ask some questions related to Colossians 1:28:
    Are you maturing?  Can others see your progress in becoming more Christ-like?
    Are you listening to warnings from Scripture?  
    Are you learning from the wisdom of Scripture?  
    Do you have a mature believer in your life that gives warnings to you as well as imparts wisdom?   
    Are you making Christ known (witnessing)? 
    Are you helping mature (discipling)?

    Continue Strong maturing as a believer and helping others mature as a believer.
    And remember to DATE The Word