RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL

THEME: MINISTERING THE SPIRIT

Friday, Sep 7 2018

Pastor Chris

OPENING SCRIPTURE: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

When we minister the Gospel, we're to minister the Spirit ;otherwise, our preaching and teaching will be mere words, and empty. Preaching the Gospel isn't about how many scriptures you can quote; it's about communicating those scriptures with, and by the Holy Ghost. This is what we're called to do as God's children and ministers of the Gospel. Anybody can sermonise or give great lectures and speeches, but without the Spirit, they'll have no lasting impact.

In 1 Corinthians 2:4, Paul said, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 says, “'our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” We've been sent by the Spirit, and anointed of God; therefore, we can only carry out His work by the power of the Spirit.

This is one of the reasons we're required to spend quality time fellowshipping in the Spirit; praying in the Spirit, to be filled with the Spirit. That way, your message and your preaching wouldn't be persuasive words of man's wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Read again who we are: “'able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). We minister the Spirit; we minister Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5 says, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord'.”

No matter what you preach or teach, it must be Christ Jesus, and you can't preach or minister Christ without the power of the Spirit. Therefore, get yourself immersed in Him; soak your spirit more in the Holy Spirit through fellowship. Pray and fast often. Study and meditate on the Word, so you can walk and talk in sync with Him, and His glory and power will always be revealed in, and through you.

CONFESSION
Dear Father, I thank you for your Spirit at work in my life. I'm ministering life and divine blessings by the power of the Holy Ghost who's at work in me today, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:
1 Corinthians 2: 4 - 5
4. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
5. If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it too severely.

John 6 : 63
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-year bible reading plan :
2 Corinthians 6: 3-7 & Proverbs 20 : 21

2-year bible reading plan :
1 Thessalonians 1 : 1 - 12 & Jeremiah 25