19/10/2013 Today’s Meditation: Galatians 2:1-10 A Trip To Galatia 4 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised Gal 2:8-9 As Apostle Paul continued his explanation of the basis of the gospel to the Galatian church, he stuck here a very important point: although they were doing different things, they were working for the same kingdom. Apostle Paul reported the details of his ministry to the brethren in Jerusalem and they in turn gave him their hands of fellowship. The ministry of Peter and the rest of the Jerusalem brethren were to the Jews whereas the commission of Paul was to the gentile world yet there was no rivalry, competition or ill feeling among them; they saw what Paul was doing as part of the work that started in Jerusalem and Paul also accepted their leadership and did not keep what the Lord was doing through him away from them. “And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised” Gal 2:3-4. The brethren in Jerusalem understood the peculiarity of the gentile mission and never placed upon the gentile mission the burden that God had not placed on them. Between Paul and the brethren in Jerusalem, there was mutual understanding and respect; there was mutual cooperation and fellowship. Different missions but common purpose! Even in the midst of that, there are enemies of the cross whose preoccupation was to cause divisions and conflicts. There have always been enemies of the cross in the church; these men who also profess to be Christians are planted by Satan to pollute the church; they are cancers in the body of Christ. “And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage)” Gal 2:4. But the brethren in Jerusalem and Paul were united in condemning these fake brethren. “Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, You must be circumcised and keep the law --to whom we gave no such commandment” Acts 15:24. While writing to Titus, Apostle Paul disclosed the purpose of these fake brethren; “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain” Tit 1:10-11. These men of dubious characters were using the church of God for their personal gains. These were not servants of God as they presented themselves but servants of their bellies. “For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” Rom 16:18. Beware of men who are making fortunes out of the body of Christ. Beware of ecclesiastical business men! Friend, the true church of God is one. The church of God is not a cult; it is absolutely wrong for any person to disallow members of his denomination from fellowshipping with other true believers. If I do not have anything to hide, why should I forbid members of my church from fellowshipping with other believers? All these “trying to protect our members” are subtle ways of protecting our personal empires. If we are truly servants of God, we must see all Christians as people of God; people of the same family of God. We must also see ourselves as one in Christ. Denominationalism is never the mind of God for His church. “Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are” Joh 17:11. We may not all be in one ministry; we may be called to do different things and be in different places but we must all be united by the same Spirit labouring for the same kingdom. “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” 1Cor 12:12-13. Anyone dividing the body of Christ is not part of the body but an enemy of the cross. Watch out for such men! The Lord will give you rest round about in all areas of your life in Jesus name. The grace of God will overrule all your infirmities and weaknesses in Jesus name. Have a blessed weekend; I love you! We have received the mandate of the Lord to gather the people of the Lord together to present to Him all issues relating to marriage. The devil is desperately fighting the marriage and homes of children of God in this end-time with all passion. Many are of age without any marriage partner, many are married with no marriage fulfilment, many have become single again and many are passing through many more terrible situations relating to marriage. We shall wait upon the Lord for 24 hours between 4:00pm of Friday 8th and 4:00pm of Saturday 9th November 2013 @ Garden of Testimony, Aroro-Makinde, off Arulogun road, Ojoo, Ibadan. (From Ojoo junction, take a Keke to Aroro-Makinde and drop at Testimony) Take this time out and allow the Great Physician to deal with all the nagging issues in your marriage and marital life. Jesus can surely handle your case; bring it to Him! Enquiries: 08033805367 or 08074246863.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 04:50:41 +0000
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