October 2012
“For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power,” 1 Corinthians 4:20. When we’re willing, God can use us in changing the lives of others. Jesus came to save the lost, bring them into the body, so they may have eternal life. God heals our lives, bodies, and hearts. We are sure to be in union with God when we keep His word and do it; be determined to know God’s will and to do God’s will. To do things God’s way – we must stay spiritually minded, read Colossians 3:2. Know and live the Word, be “Word-conscious,” the Bible is the living Word of God, read James 1:22. Stay flexible – be ready to make essential changes in our lives so when God speaks – we go. We battle to know and do God’s will for us and become overwhelmed. God’s ways are much higher and greater than our ways. Pray for knowledge of His will, all wisdom, and spiritual understanding, read Colossians 1:9-10. Why do we ask for the knowledge? So we can prove we belong to the Lord, please the Lord, and be fruitful. Jesus instructed us to continue to knock and ask, read Matthew 7:7-8.
In James 1:2, it says to “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” We usually worry, scramble, and try to get out of the situation of difficulty, pressure, or stress. Read 1 Peter 1:6-7, “Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth.” God uses trials to try and prove our faith, but out of the trial, there is a forming and developing of patience. Our days are not always wonderful. Paul stated in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” He learned to let patience rise and do a work. So why should we joy in trials? Because we’re going to receive a measure of patience which does an inner work for us. Patience develops confidence in God, His Word, His promises, and how we believe. Many times we are instructed to be still and wait upon the Lord (patience develops). We have the need to receive patience before we receive the promises of God.
God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Read 1 Corinthians 1:25 to 31. God sees us for what is inside us. He calls ones with seemingly no talent, average, and who are low-esteemed. God uses people who are not perfect but who need mending. He takes our situations, cleans us up, mends us, and completes a work in us until we are perfected even to the stature of Jesus Christ. In order to be used by God, we must allow our wounds to be turned in scars. Our scars are reminders of a wound that has been mended. God uses people who are willing to fit together in the body. Read Ephesians 4:16, God knits together people who have been mended and are working towards one purpose – accomplishing great works for the Kingdom of God. God uses people who are faithful. We must allow God to mend us, to work together, to speak the truth in love, and stand in faithfulness.
God is in process of restoring His Church. We are subjects of the Kingdom of God. In John 17:16, Jesus said, “They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.” We need to move under direction of the Holy Spirit while operating in the manifested life of Jesus Christ. Above all, we should put the things of God first in our life and set our minds on the things of Heaven. In Romans 14:17, Paul tells us, “For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” We have and makeup the Kingdom of God - by being restored - to living in the manifested power of Jesus Christ.
