By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
THURSDAY
THEME: ADVANCING IN LIFE’S MISSION
SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:10
“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
REFLECTIONS:
What does the Lord require of you? Micah puts this question in context and states: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” – This is part of our mission statement on earth. Fruit-bearing is critical to fulfilling our mission. God will not require anything less of us than to be like His Son. His impeccable character is our standard. Anyone born into the kingdom of God must be distinct and easily distinguishable. To be called a Christian means you espouse Christ-like virtues – nothing more, nothing less.
Throughout his ministry, Paul thanked God and always prayed for Christian converts to grow and bear fruit in Christ. He stressed the need for us to walk humbly with God and produce fruit worthy of His praise. As members of God’s kingdom, our lifestyle should reveal where we come from and the home we belong to. Colossians 1:10-14 sums it up – “[10]that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; [11]strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; [12]giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. [13]He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, [14]in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
We are to walk with God, increase our knowledge of God, perform good works, and bear fruit. This will happen when we are “strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.” God plays a pivotal role by providing us with the enabling environment and support to grow and bear fruit. Paul states that we should be thankful “to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” The beauty of our conversion is that we transition from darkness into the kingdom of His loving Son – our redeemer and Lord who forgives our sins. Were it not for Christ, some of us would be dead by now without light and hope. Were it not for Christ, many who are today sober and God-fearing would be wretched sinners, wobbling in thick darkness and practicing sheer wickedness. Yet, because of Christ, there is no limit to the blessings you may receive and the quality of life you may live.
The evidence of our commitment to Christ and a testament to the unimaginable investment God has made in us is revealed in how we live for Him daily. Beloved, your call into the marvelous light of God is for you to accomplish a mission in life that will give you value and qualify you for eternal life. Your mission is to let this short life beget eternal life for you. Live and give evidence of what Christ has done in your life and the transformation that has become real in you. Paul prayed that God’s will be known in you – let the results show.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 198 – “And Can It Be?”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for your redemption; thank God for the privilege you have to grow and bear fruit in Him; pray that your mission will be fulfilled in Christ;
– Pray for at least five people you want God to save; pray for your church members and all Christians to lift Christ up by their character;
– Pray for Christians in key positions in government, business, all forms of governance, civil service, and security services to manifest Christ in their engagements;
– Pray for the peace and progress of the nation; pray for people in need, the sick, the displaced, and the starving.
