Page 59 - In His Image
P. 59
Let me now take off the silk gloves that so often hide the scarred knuckles of the
body of Christ! As yourself this question... "do we truly see an outworking of
Ephesians 4:12 in our churches, in our fellow believers, in our community, in our
world?"
We are called to the work of ministry to edify the body. No argument there. What
fundamentally is the work of ministry? Let me challenge you with this as a
definition...
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me to preach
good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to
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the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the
acceptable year of the LORD...”
We all recognize the words from Isaiah 61:1, words spoken by none other than our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Why was He anointed? To do what? If we are truly
His followers, why should we be anointed? What should that anointing equip us to
do? These are rhetoric questions, whose answers are readily found in the first verse
of Isaiah 61.
My burden, saints of God, and the burden of every disciple and disciple maker
should be this... if we are moving under God's anointing to preach good tidings to the
poor, why...
Is abortion on the rise?
Why is the homosexual agenda gaining in strength?
Why is divorce in the body the same as in the world?
Why is adultery so common among "believers?"
Why do we see a form of godliness?
Why does strife abound in families, communities and society?
Why are they walking in the front doors of our churches and out the back?
Why are so many leaving the pastorate?
Are we affecting the WORLD for Christ? Are we preaching good tidings to the
poor and brokenhearted? Are we going into all the world? Notice that the word of
God speaks of bringing this precious gift called the Gospel OUT to the WORLDI
We are commanded to "go" outside the confines of the church with the message of
Love. IF, in fact, this was being done the way we are instructed, un-
In His Image 50
