When the Lord calls us to serve Him.....

When the Lord calls us to serve Him, our hearts are overjoyed. We are excited and eager to do our best. But very soon we discover that things would go a whole lot smoother if circumstances would be more favorable—if finances weren’t so tight, if John Doe with his strange ideas wouldn’t be in leadership, if we wouldn’t have to work beside Mary Major with her overbearing personality.

As time goes by, our initial excitement wears off, and the irritations, disappointments and conflicts with others seem to grow stronger. Finally we get to the point where we can’t take it anymore and we either start fighting for our rights or we quietly walk off with hurt and bitterness in our hearts.

Why couldn’t we survive in serving the Lord, even though we began with willing and sincere hearts?

With the Same Mind

Could it be that we forgot we were in a battle that is not against flesh and blood? Instead, we end up fighting John and Mary instead of our real enemy. Did we arm ourselves correctly for the spiritual battle we entered as Paul describes in Ephesians? If our answer is yes, what are we still missing?

I believe our answer is found in the letter the Apostle Peter wrote near the end of his life: “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind” (1 Peter 4:1).

Have we armed ourselves with the willingness to suffer—to the same extent that Christ suffered for us when He was on earth?

I am well aware that the idea of embracing suffering does not fit our 21st-century concept of following and serving Christ. Yet the Bible teaches that suffering for Him is our privilege: “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29).

Does that mean we all should seek out beatings and martyrdom? No, that’s not what it means. The Lord wants us to arm ourselves with a mind to suffer just as He did, so the enemy has nothing to work with to get us out of the battle.

The Way to Obedience

We must never forget that Christ did not suffer just during His three years of public ministry or the last few days of His life when He was crucified. No, He suffered throughout His life on earth. He who was without sin lived daily with the corruption and sinfulness of lost humanity.

His own family members said He had gone mentally insane. The religious community misunderstood Him and called Him a demon-possessed man. His disciples didn’t understand Him, and when He needed them most, they ran away. From birth to the cross, His life was full of pain, loneliness and constant misunderstanding. He is called a man of sorrows and grief. That’s the Jesus of the New Testament.

In the midst of it all, He chose to suffer in the flesh by saying no to Himself. He never fought for Himself, argued His case or attacked anyone to defend His rights. And in the end, Jesus was able to say, “Not My will, but Thine,” embracing the cross to fulfill His Father’s will

Suffering in the flesh became the means for Jesus to learn obedience to His Father. And His life is our model, says Peter: “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

Finishing Strong

But what was the reason for Christ’s suffering and death? To redeem mankind. And so it is with us. We can only become agents of redemption if we are willing to embrace suffering in the flesh—choosing to deny self and accepting death to our own desires. My dear friend, if you want to finish strong in your service to the Lord, then you must make a deliberate decision to arm yourself with a mind to suffer as Jesus did. It is never easy for our flesh when we choose to spend time alone in prayer, fast for several days, give up certain material possessions or perhaps follow the Lord’s leading to a difficult mission field. But it’s a choice we make for others.

Throughout his days as a disciple, Peter battled for his rights and the number-one position on the team. But in his letter, he tells us, in essence:

“Brothers and sisters, take Jesus as your example. The moment you remove yourselves from this reality, the devil will take advantage of you. And all of a sudden, relationships break down and revenge, bitterness and unforgiveness will take hold of you. Don’t fight, don’t argue, don’t look for the first place for yourself. Don’t look for anything. Always follow Him who suffered for you. This is the secret of staying in the battle.”

And when we do this, nothing—no circumstances, disappointments, financial problems, misunderstandings or shortcomings of leaders and co-workers—will be able to take us out of the battle!

For the sake of Jesus and His kingdom, will you make this decision today?

A Message of Hope For All The Married Couples

A Message of Hope For All The Married Couples

Zac Poonen

The wedding at Cana, gives us a glimpse of the blessedness
that comes through honouring God (John 2:1-11). It is
significant that it was at a wedding, that Jesus decided to
manifest His glory for the first time. Even today, He
desires to manifest His glory at every wedding and in every
marriage. The shortage of wine at Cana indicates that
problems and needs will arise in every marriage. These
problems can ultimately lead both husband and wife to a
point of continued frustration and despair. But when Jesus
is given the pre-eminent place in a marriage, He very soon
solves the problems and meets the needs - as He did at Cana.
It is not enough for Christ to be invited as a guest into
the home; He must be Lord.

It is mere mockery to hang a placard on the wall which reads,
"CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THIS HOUSE", if in actual fact the
husband (or the wife!) is the real head. But wherever Christ is truly
acknowledged as Head and Lord, He manifests His glory as really
as He did at Cana two thousand years ago (v.11). "Whatever
He says to you, do it", was the advice given by Mary to
the servants there (v.5). They heeded that advice and obeyed
Jesus implicitly and immediately - and soon the problem was solved.
If only married couples (as well as young people contemplating marriage)
would heed the same advice and render the same
implicit and immediate obedience to the Lord's commands, how
soon their problems would find a solution.

The water was transformed into wine at that wedding. That
which was tasteless and colourless and ordinary was changed
in a moment into something sweet and sparkling and costly.
This symbolizes how the common things of married life
(including the monotonous drudgery of daily routine) can
begin to sparkle with a lustre, when the Lord is given full
control of the home. The tasteless becomes sweet, and
infinite value begins to be seen in that which was formerly
despised as common.

The needs of many people were met too, as a result of that
miracle. A Christian marriage never fulfills its purpose by
providing happiness merely for both the partners. God's
intention is that married couples should have their cups
"running over" constantly (Psa. 23:5). They should be the
means of blessing to many others - in fact to every one they
meet. God once said to an obedient servant of His - "I will
bless you... and you shall be a blessing - dispensing good
to others... (and) in you shall all the families and kindred
of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:2,3). That blessing of God
is for us too, according to Galatians 3:14. What greater aim
could one have in marriage than that? But the measure in
which we become a blessing to others will depend on the
measure in which we obey God in our daily life. "In your
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because
you have heard and obeyed My voice", said the Lord to
Abraham (Gen. 22:18).

The miracle at Cana holds out a message of hope too, for
those who have blundered and failed in the realm of
marriage. When the wine failed at Cana, they turned to the
Lord and He did not let them down. He will not let you down
either, if you turn to Him in your need - no matter how
great your failure may have been. He only asks you to be
honest about that need (as those in Cana were) and to tell
Him of your failure. Have you through your foolishness,
allowed things to go too far ? Have you blundered in the
matter of love - perhaps through ignorance? Are you, as a
result, facing embarrassment and frustration now? Do others
misunderstand you and reproach you - or perhaps malign you?
Then turn to the Lord at once, without a moment's delay. He
is the Friend of sinners. He waits not only to forgive your
sin but also to clean up the mess that Satan has made of
your life. It was to fulfill these two purposes that He came
into the world (1 John 3:5,8). Don't give way to
discouragement, for there is hope even for you. The Lord
more than made up for the lack at that wedding in Cana, and
He can more than make up for every lack in your life. The
Lord manifested His glory at Cana, and He can do the same in your case.

If you have faced disappointment, take heart from the fact
that true blessedness in the Christian life comes through
renouncing and not through possessing (Acts 20:35). God can
make all things work together for your good, and help you to
live a full life for His glory in spite of unfulfilled desires.