Tuesday May 31, 2011

Read 2 Peter 1:5-7;  2 Timothy 2:20-21;  1 Timothy 4:8

Marcus played on the state level football team. He was by far the best player. But whenever he got the ball he would run and seek to score. He rarely passed the ball. He rarely set up another play. He sought simply to bring glory to himself. One weekend Marcus scored 3 tries in the match, but because the team lost, he still lost as well.  In fact, even though Marcus was by far the best player in all the state teams, his team still came last in the competition. How is that possible? It’s all about team work!

Many believers don’t realise that sanctification is about team work. It’s about you and God (that’s a divine team) working together. We are saved by faith and faith alone but God expects that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. It is not enough to be born into God’s family; we must also grow spiritually. This demands diligence and earnestness; a lazy, careless Christian does not grow.

When the Scriptures say ‘make every effort to add’ it is very clear. We are called to be diligent in our growth. We are called to work at it like an athlete works at his training and fitness. We are not given the luxury of laziness or the choice of compromise.  Out of our standing in Christ, our inception into the Jesus’ Team, God calls us to train and to train hard. The muscles of our faith need to be worked out in the gym of life each and every single day.  The Greek communicates something like, ‘Be diligent in bringing alongside...’. God has a role to play and so do we.

Those who are consistently victorious in Christ are those who work with God and willingly make every effort to add to all that God has given them. Those who are in victorious in Christ train themselves (and each other) in the faith.

Prayer:-

V Pray for Shiloh Church Ministries (SCM) in India is reapplying for a visa for Pastor Paul (SCM’s administrator) and his wife Krupa to come to Australia. The first application was refused because he had no funds in his bank account and authorities were concerned that he would not return to India.

V Pray for  electricity to be put on at Shiloh Church Ministries’ (SCM) new Orissa orphanage during the coming weeks.