Fulfilling the Great Commission out of the Overflow

Many believers today misunderstand the Great Commission. Churches literally force people to go out and preach the Gospel to unbelievers. The results are often not very good. 

One of the reasons why many of our sincere efforts bear no fruit is because we have been taught a mixture of the Law and Grace. Beloved what Peter preached in Acts 2 and 3000 were saved, what he preached at Cornelius' house and Gentiles (for the first time) were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 10), and what Paul preached mentioned in Acts 13 that caused a lame man to receive faith to be healed (Acts 14:9), is what really matters. Yes, not HOW, WHEN, or WHERE they preached but WHAT they preached!!!!

They preached GRACE, undiluted, unadulterated, unaltered, pure Grace. They preached that through this Grace (Jesus Himself) there is forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, 10:43, 13:38) available to all who believe in Him (Romans 10:9-10) for God SO loved the world. (John 3:16)

The great commission was never about us. If Jesus wanted Peter and the apostles to go out and fulfill the great commission by themselves then He would have not told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). If God required men to go out and save the lost then Paul would not have cried out, "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives through me" (Galatians 2:20) and Jesus could never have said, "who ever my Father sends to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)

Beloved, it is El Shaddai who seeks and saves the lost......the loving Father who looks out for His lost Son....Jehovah Rohi who rejoices when He finds that one lost sheep. Amen!!

So how exactly do we fulfill the great commission? 

What we receive by grace through faith in Jesus edifies us. And how much we receive is always more than we can handle. (Ephesians 3:20) It is the overflow that causes us to fulfill the Great Commission. It is the ABUNDANCE of what we receive that reaches out to our lost world. It is His light reflected off of us that draws in the weary and heavy laden to Christ (Matthew 11:28). His light makes us that city on a hill which cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:14)

Let me clear the air regarding how exactly the disciples and apostles went out "to the uttermost parts of the earth". (Acts 1:8) Immediately after the ascension of Jesus into Heaven, the disciples stated in Jerusalem as the Lord commanded. (Acts 1:4) Even after Peter's first message they remained in Jerusalem. All throughout Acts 2 to to Acts 7 it is mentioned that they would go to the temple to preach and many were healed (Acts 5:12,16) and the church grew in number (Acts 2:41, 43, 47, 5:14). Still no apostle moved out of Jerusalem (except the people from different nations who had been there for the feast of the Pentecost, they went to their homelands with the Good News oblivious of the great commission). Acts 8:4, makes it clear that it was only after Stephen's death and when Saul started persecuting the followers of Christ in Jerusalem that the brothers were "caused" to scatter to other place, and there under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the dunamis of God, they PREACHED the Gospel. He made all things beautiful in His time. Hallelujah!! 

Today do not be burdened with guilt because you are not preaching the Gospel. Condemnation kills but the Law of the Spirit of Life in JESUS CHRIST has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) Do not let anyone force you into coercive preaching, it is never effective. Beloved, do not try to do the work of the Holy Spirit by yourself. But rejoice because under the New Covenant most of the time believers end up ministering and witnessing to people even when they are NOT aware of it. Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that "you shall be my witnesses", our lives will be living testimonies and that is what will draw people in darkness to come out into the light of Jesus that shines through our lives. Amen!! God will confirm this preaching of His word with signs and wonders (Mark 16:20)!! So no more worries about making up excuses as to why miracles did not happen, because you better brace yourself as all heaven will break open and the dunamis of God will flow when His word goes forth from the mouth of His beloved son or daughter! Amen!! Praise the Lord!!

Beloved the same power that flowed through Paul, Peter and the 1st century believers is alive and well able to do the same and even greater works in us today. The first century church was no different than us today. they faced the same difficulties, made the same mistakes and had the same power which we have today.So quit disqualifying yourself, blaming the "evil times", quit playing the blame game. Jesus' perfect work has made you a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and you are now the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Believe that there is nothing wrong with you because of Jesus' perfect sacrifice, look up and see the blessings flow, miracles manifest and experience the power of God making each of the days of your natural lives, SUPERNATURAL!! Hallelujah!! 

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

Beloved this kind of a life, we abiding in Jesus and His word in us (John 15:7); this life will speak to the ends of the earth and declare that JESUS is Lord, and whatever we ask for in Jesus' name, will be done for us by the ever loving and gracious Father, the one and only wise King, to Him be all glory and honor and praise, forever and ever! Amen! 

Many are later called into full time ministry by Jesus like Paul, Dr. DGS Dhinakaran, Pas. Joseph Prince, Smith Wigglesworth was a plumber before being called full time but there are instances in his life when he would go to do his job and the glory of God would be manifested in the way he spoke and acted so much that people would themselves approach him to ask him what kept him so happy and satisfied. The answer obviously was Jesus!! Beloved it is of utmost importance that we do not rush in on our own but wait for the call, besides that the word assures us that our very lives will touch people and make paradigm shifting changes wherever we are!! Look to Jesus, beloved, only He can give you that abundant life (John 10:10) where you do not end up "making it through" the day, instead you LIVE EACH MOMENT EXPERIENCING HEAVEN ON EARTH for the GLORY of GOD!! Amen!!

Blessed?? Hallelujah!!

Of Food and Freedom

Beloved, I want to discuss an area which has confused me a lot in the past but thanks to God that today by His Grace I no longer stand divided in my mind. God is “Jehovah Shalom”, God our Peace; it does not mean that He give us peace; He IS our Peace. On this note I would also encourage you to look to Jesus whenever you are troubled or confused and He will guard your hearts and minds with His shalom peace (Philippians 4:7). Amen!

This is about food offered or sacrificed to idols or the “prashad” which many of us have been offered some time or the other in the past. I have always avoided taking this and many a times been confused my conscience, not by partaking of this food but by seeing believers who partake of this food openly.

Now let me point out that those who believe in Jesus and yet partake of this are under no condemnation, for they give thanks to God and because He has made all things clean, “the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof” (1 Corinthians 10:26).

The problem, beloved was my weak conscience and lack of knowledge.

Let us look at what Paul says. With regard to food sacrificed to idols the first thing he says is, “with regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1) Hallelujah!! The wisdom of God!! Powerful!!

Beloved the knowledge of freedom too can cause us to become ignorant of people who lack it. So this is why the Holy Spirit brings this up, we who have the knowledge that idols are nothing in this world (1 Corinthians 8:4), no food is unclean (1 Corinthians 10:25-27), and food does not cause  us to go closer to or farther from God (1 Corinthians 8:8)  -  must “be careful that this liberty of ours does not become a hindrance to the weak." (1 Corinthians 8:9)

Yes, all food is clean but as Paul says “everything is not beneficial” (1 Corinthians 10:23).

Regarding food, I wish to tell you as Paul did, “Eat everything that is available in the marketplace” (1 Corinthians 10:35) but meditate on what Jesus told Satan when he asked Him to turn the stones into bread (Matthew 4:3-4). Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 saying “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. Let me point out to you that in the original Hebrew text, the word “word” is not there. Instead it reads, “man shall not live by bread alone but by everything (every vibration) that comes from the mouth of God”!! Hallelujah!! So I can safely quote that “food is not even NECESSARY!!” Jehovah sustains us by His word.

Coming back to food offered to idols, let us see how Paul expands on this topic in 1 Corinthians 10. He says by the Holy Spirit that idols are nothing but demons and that the pagans (unbelievers) offer sacrifices to them. So it is impossible for us to partake at the table of the Lord and that of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20-22) The Spirit knew that we can be alarmed by this so He says in the very next verse that all things are good and that all food is good (1 Corinthians 10:25-26), and even when you are invited to the house of an unbeliever do not hesitate to eat whatever is offered to you (1 Corinthians 10:27). And then Paul adds, that if an unbeliever (or a weak believer at any other time) happens to mention that a particular food has been offered to idols, then do not eat it (1 Corinthians 10:28). Not for the sake of defiling yourself (because you can never be defiled by what you eat or do not eat) but for the sake of the other person whose conscience is weak. (1 Corinthians 10:29)

Beloved, Paul says that if by eating a certain type of food we cause a weak brother to fall into sin, it is better to avoid that food. (1 Corinthians 8:13)

You now possess the knowledge regarding food sacrificed to idols, now let us look at love. Beloved, love builds up. This knowledge is useless without love because we can now easily exercise this knowledge, become puffed up and end up causing many with weak consciences to fall into sin and confusion. So how do we exercise this love.

The answer is in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22

For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself servant to all, so that I might gain the more.

And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews. To those who are under the Law, I became as under the Law, so that I might gain those who are under the Law.

To those who are outside Law, I became as outside Law (not being outside law to God, but under the Law to Christ), so that I might gain those who are outside Law.

To the weak I became as the weak, so that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, so that I might by all means save some.

This is love. The love that builds up lies in us exercising our knowledge (the freedom from guilt regarding what we eat or do not eat) to go and be with unbelievers and weak believers, to eat what they eat and be with them to proclaim the Gospel to them, so that they too might one day be free in Jesus' name. Amen!!

So those of you, who are new believers, do not hesitate to eat the “prashad” offered to you at home. Give thanks (for He has made all food clean) and partake lest you lose the opportunity to testify about Jesus at your own homes. And to believers in Christ who are under no such compulsion, you are free to exercise this knowledge but do so in love for your fellow believers who are weak.

Shalom!!