OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY- 30/04/2014 - CARE FOR THE BRETHREN BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CARE FOR THE BRETHREN

MEMORISE

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

READ

Romans 15:25-27

25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

MESSAGE

Apostle Paul in the Bible reading for today, teaches us one missing ingredient of true discipleship in today’s contemporary Church; which is the ministry of care. Despite the great anointing with which Apostle Paul was ministering to both Jews and Gentiles, it is amazing to read that the ministry of care was not absent from his vocation as a preacher of the gospel. It is also interesting to note that the lives of the early apostles of Jesus Christ were not only in alignment with the teachings of Jesus Christ but were also in alignment with their own teachings. Jesus Christ taught that his followers should be hospitable, kind hearted and generous. He said to us in Matthew 10:42 that:

“And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

He exemplified this when He insisted on feeding the crowd that had been with Him for so long, contrary to the suggestions of His disciples that they be dismissed with empty stomachs. He made sure the crowd was fed before they were dispersed (Matthew 14:15-19).

In Matthew 25:35-40 the Lord further enunciated this principle saying:

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

In light of these witnesses, children of God must therefore engage in the ministry of care along with any other ministries that they may have been called into. This makes our calling a complete and perfect one. The needy amongst us should be given consideration as our primary target of ministration on practical giving.

ACTION POINT

Set up a care-giving department in your local assembly for the purpose of meeting the needs of those who lack one thing or the other.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Revelation 8-11; 

Psalm 93