(2 Corinthians 13: 5-10, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Galatians 6:1-4, Matthew 13:45-46)
A messenger should imitate his master, who sent him or her on mission and not imitate who he was sent to change.
Many have been sent on mission but got converted instead of being the one converting those they were sent to convert. When we are to convert others around us, those we are sent to are the one who successfully convert us. God forbids! Are they the one imitating us or are we the one imitating them? What shall we report when we face the Lord? Or shall we prefer to join ourselves to the field rather than being a labourer the Lord will continue to rejoice over?
Do we share the same feeling with One who appointed us? One of our fathers in the Lord said, “you can only disappoint the one that appoints you, you do not disappoint who did not appoint you”. One does not just put himself or herself under strange lordship without first disappointing and abandoning his or her first master. This will not be our portion in Jesus name. Amen.
The talent given to us should not become problem, if we have not become wane ourselves because the Master gives us according to our ability (Matthew 25:15, 24-30).
Matthew 13:45 – 46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Are we on mission for God, selling what we have, to purchase the goodly pearl or are we selling the goodly pearl to purchase the world? That precious pearl we once purchased with all that we have and worth, is it still precious to us that we will not sell it or exchange it for any price of worldly “vanity”? Hope we are not lusting after their foreign gods which we were brought here to pull down?
2 Corinthians 10: 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Hope we are not now taking refuge in the same (enemy’s) strongholds Christ empowered us to pull down?
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Are we not getting bewildered with the same imaginations we were commissioned and equipped (with authority and power) to cast down? Is the high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God the one recruiting us for a war against the knowledge of God, as the lucifer did with the once holy angel(Revelations 12:9, Isaiah 14:12).
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Are we returning to Lord Jesus with the loots we got from our exploits for Him or are we returning with war against the same Lord that sent us out?
Our Lord laments like a woman whose only child is taken from her, whenever we backslide!
Matthew 10: 5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand
Beloved, having paid close attention to our own faith, the Lord is asking us for a help? He pleads us to help those who are weak in faith. We can help them with prayers of intercession. Instead of mocking the backsliders, we should pray for them. Instead of judging them, we should encourage them in Christ. As the Holy Spirit will be helping us, let us speak the word of encouragement to those who are weak in faith and word of restoration to those who are lost from the faith.
Shall we return without doing this errand? When we return, will our report be, “Lord I gained them for you”?
When we talk about lost sheep, do we look far into distant places to find one? Beloved, we might not need to. The lost sheep might be your children, husband, wife, neighbors, the next church member worshipping besides you, someone you once came across in the kingdom race. Or, surprisingly, maybe we ourselves are the lost sheep. It was a personal evangelism that sought out the prodigal son of Luke 15: 17-20, from the mire. His revival actually resulted from his personal soul being witnessed to by himself. Even one may be sitting in front of the altar or on the altar and yet be lost.
Prayer Points
1) Lord Jesus, thank You for Your mercy that sought me out.
2) Holy Spirit, may the power to return to You be released to every backslider, in Jesus mighty name.
3) Oh Lord Jesus, Your prayers and love brought Peter back to You, let Your mercy bring back Your lost Sheep.
4) Lord Jesus, do not let my portion be that of the son/ daughter of perdition like Judas Iscariot.
5) Every worldly imitation and acquisition of strange gods in me, my loved ones and Your church, uproot and destroy them, in Jesus name.
