SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/8/2018
9:46 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Spiritual
Ministry
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 13:2a
Message of the
verses: “2 While they were
ministering to the Lord and fasting,”
Verse two speaks of the Spiritual leaders who were
mentioned in verse on, and this portion of verse two tells us what they were
doing for the cause of Christ. They were
ministering to the Lord and a part of that ministry included fasting, something
that we rarely if ever see in churches today.
John MacArthur writes “Ministering’ is from (leitourgeo) a word that originally meant
‘to discharge a public office.’ It was ‘used
of the Attic orators who served the state at their own cost’ (A. T.
Robertson). The leaders of the Antioch
church faithfully discharged the office God called them to and fulfilled their
ministry (cf. 2 Tim. 4:5).” “5 But you, be sober in all things, endure
hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Tim. 4:5).”
MacArthur goes on to write “In Scripture, however, leitourgeo means more than public
service; it describes priestly service.
In the Septuagint it described the priests who ministered in the
tabernacle (Ex. 28:41). Serving in a
leadership role in the church must be viewed as an art of worship to God. Such services consists of offering spiritual
sacrifices to Him (cf. Heb. 13:15-16), including prayer, oversight of the
flock, studying, and preaching and teaching the Word.”
One may wonder who their ministering was directed, and if
you think it is their congregation you would be wrong for their ministering was
to the Lord, and this is crucial to understand that God is the audience for all
spiritual ministry. When one goes to a
church service to worship the Lord the Lord is an audience of One. MacArthur adds “Those whose goal is
ministering to people will be tempted to compromise to achieve that end. Making the Lord the object of ministry
obviates the need for compromise.”
Let us look at 2 Corinthians 8:5 to help us understand
why we’re to making the Lord are object of ministry: “5 and this, not as we had expected, but they
first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.” This verse speaks of the Macedonian
believers. The Macedonian believers were
“diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to
be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).” Colossians 3:23-24 adds “23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for
the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will
receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”
Fasting and prayer go together many times in the Word of
God. I want to look at Nehemiah 1:4 to
give an example “4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned
for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” When I retired from my regular job that I had
had for 35 years I wanted to see what the Lord desired me to do and so I spent
some time fasting and praying. Not
eating for a week, only drinking water makes your mind clearer than when you
eat. God can use times of fasting to enhance
your prayer life and get closer to the Lord.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: It was a good
reminder to me as I looked at this passage to begin to focus my ministry on the
Lord, to give myself to Him for the purpose of ministering to Him.
My Steps of Faith for Today: As I am thinking about the fourth chapter of
Revelation for my Sunday school class for next week I pray that the Lord will
give to me the things that He wants me to talk about to bring glory to His
name.
Memory verse: Psalm 143:10 “Teach
me to do Your will, For You are my God, Let Your good Spirit lead me on level
ground.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Stone” (Luke 4:3).
Today’s Bible
question: “Whose wife did Jesus say we
should remember?”
Answer in our next SD.
2/8/2018 10:15 AM
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