BEING AN HONEST WITNESS-part 2

Having seen the message and the source of power for the message,how are we going to be worthy to take the message? We are sinneq , however in Christ we have been justified, we have been given the job of ambassadors. In our own strenth we would never be worthy , but in his power we are ready and enabled to do the job. It is GRACE all the way ; in grace we were saved , in grace a new position, and in grace empowerd to be ambassadors for the one who loved us and gave himself for us. Romans 7;14-8:2. Read this passage. Note how paul felt unworthy, but that did not stop him preaching. Believers are save sinners going to sinners who are not saved telling them that they can be saved. I have a solution, you can say. They have a disaster on their hands, you have the only remed. As we have an answer we should use it in our own life moment by moment to ensure we are Holy and pure vessels. We need to be clean. The cleansing work of the Spirit allows us to be fit vessels for his use. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:5-7 We ,in earthly vessels, have nothing ourselves, to offer other than that which is poured into us. This is a verse of hope to all of us , as we live in our all to" earthly vessels". In the ancient word many of the lamps were made out of clay pots filled with oil and with a wick out the spout. This the "vessel" that paul has in mind here. If it ran out of oil the wick would burn up and the light would fail whereas with oil in the lamp the oil burnt and the wick remained. Paul says that we are, as believers like these old beaten up clay lamps, but oil filled (Holy Spirit filled) , we can give forth a bright light, and do so all our lives. Our challenge ,as the Lord made clear in methew 25;1-13, is to keep oil in our lamps; that is, to ensure we are daily filled with the Holy Spirit. The Lord also said that a lamp should not be hidden. Methew 5:14-16. If you preach it must be in the power of the Spirit. This makes witnessing, of course, a true fruit of the Holy Spirit. Turn over briefly to Galatians 5:15-26, and read this . Feet shod with the gospel of peace! In othe words we are to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to be example which others are to follow . It is therefore of great importance that the teachers life is right. If your thinking is based on God's Word the rest of your life will fall into line. Practice what you preach! If you do not go with the right mental altitude it will not be effective. EPHESIANS 5:18-21 This section is just the sentence in the greek. You cannot as an evangelist be drunk with wine. You cannot evangelise if you are drunk or on drugs ,or under the influence of anything other than the Holy holy spirit! You are however told to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. If you are, you will hum God's music and not the devil's. If the Spirit is controlling your life you will not be miserable you mill have a joy about you. This will be in the form of "serious" joy: we are not to be frivolous and stupid but joy filled in th Biblical sense of deep joy of soul in what the Lord has provided. A true evangelist will have an altitude of thankfulness which is the basis for true witnessing. You are so thankful for what the Lord has done for you that you want to share it with others. There will also be a Spirit of Submission as you are not trying to get one upmanship going with others. If you are mutually submissive there will not be problems in the group. There are many evangelist today acting in their own strenghth and they are obscuring the message with their "techniques" and "sales pitches". Those who witness for the Lord must know the Lord, and magnify him him alone, as well being under the control of the Holy Spirit and therefore in loving fellowship with the Lord. Evangelism is introducing someone to christ, who He is, what He has done, what He will do, and what He can do for them, both now and forever. The number of people walking in the Spirit in the church probably varies from 1 % to 10 % normaly with it going up to 50 % fo a shot period of time each week. Is it any wonder why so little evangelism occurs from our churches? Our first challenge, after ensuring we are walking in the power of the Spirit is to get our churches also walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. When believers are Holy Spirit filled they will have the overflowing Love for the Lord whom they represent and this will be seen by those who are lost. They will emjoy sharing the gospel, and their loving concern will be seen by the unbeliever. We should not want to see anyone in hell. A lot of the believers know they are going to hell and are worried about it and we have the only remedy. Many enter our churches without hope and we have the message of hope. No-one must leave without hearing that message! Our life should be a song praise for what the Lord has done, is doing and will do, and every church services should be filled with opportunities for people to praise God, so that the believer present can praise and the unbelievers see from where their hope must come. Witnessing then becomes the overflow of public praise and testimony of transformed lives so that our witnessing activities are the same as our worship activities. Worship is your overflow praise to God for who He is, what He is and what He has done. Witnessing is your overflow of praise to unbelievers telling the the good news. Motivation is the same, content is the same. What you find is those who cannot witness, worship.

GLORY SPOKEN OF IN THE BIBLE

The glory of God is the radiation of his perfection. His power and glory were revealed in the creation of the universe; "The heavens declare the glory of God" (psalm 19,1 ) . And the glory of His love shines forth in the work of redemption. The glory of Jesus, the son God, was seen on this earth. In Him God came to the aid of mankind. God, whose glory was inaccessible for us, "has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 corinthians 4,6). The moral glory of the Son of God, that is the incoming parable beauty of His character and feelings, shone forth at every step of His pathway as the perfect man on earth. It stands out in every line of the gospel: gentleness, humanity, devotion, sympathy etc... "And we beheld his glory , the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth " (john 1 14 ). His official glory will eventually fill the whole universe, when He , invested with royal authority, again comes to earth " with power and great glory" ( Methew 24 ,30). The future glory will be the part of all the redeemed in heaven ( Romans 8, 18). Together with the nations on earth Israel will also be a witness of the glory of the messiah ,whom they will at last recognize for who He is. " The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2, 14)

The glory of God is the radiation of his perfection. His power and glory were revealed in the creation of the universe; "The heavens declare the glory of God" (psalm 19,1 ) . And the glory of His love shines forth in the work of redemption. The glory of Jesus, the son God, was seen on this earth. In Him God came to the aid of mankind. God, whose glory was inaccessible for us, "has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 corinthians 4,6). The moral glory of the Son of God, that is the incoming parable beauty of His character and feelings, shone forth at every step of His pathway as the perfect man on earth. It stands out in every line of the gospel: gentleness, humanity, devotion, sympathy etc... "And we beheld his glory , the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth " (john 1 14 ). His official glory will eventually fill the whole universe, when He , invested with royal authority, again comes to earth " with power and great glory" ( Methew 24 ,30). The future glory will be the part of all the redeemed in heaven ( Romans 8, 18). Together with the nations on earth Israel will also be a witness of the glory of the messiah ,whom they will at last recognize for who He is. " The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2, 14)

 

HARVEST NEW LIFE MINISTRIES    INTERNATIONAL

(CORNERSTONE CHURCH AGE)

WE AS HARVEST NEW LIFE MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL ARE KINDLY INVITING THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF KITWE CITY AND BEYOND TO AN OVERNIGHT PRAYER MEETING WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE ON 29^TH JUNE 2012 AT PLOT NO 1128 OLD NDEKE BEHIND NDEKE BAPTIST CHURCH UNDER THE  THEME AWAKE AND STAND.

HOST PASTOR:   PASTOR KUNDA.D

GUEST PASTORS: PASTOR BUNDA

                          : PASTOR MULENGA .S