DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: OCTOBER 19 GOD’S PURPOSES FOR THE CHURCH (3) SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 5: 2; Acts 20: 28
By now we might have seen the angle of this devotional concerning God’s purposes for establishing the church here on earth. The purposes, apart from salvation missions, include changing all things contrary to good works. Things that pertain to good works are too numerous to be put into a limited space such as this. But in today’s discussions, we will be seeing the church as a caring organization. God planned that each human being develops caring attitude towards one another. God provided everything human being needs for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God blesses people with different gifts, skills, talents, materials and so on, principally to make life beautiful for others. The church is saddled with responsibilities to care for people and community within which she finds herself.
Christians who are in caring ministries fulfill the major purposes of God for the world perfectly. The needs of individuals, communities, such as social amenities and developments form the hubs of caring ministries God purposed her church to take seriously. The passages above talk of shepherding the flock and feed the church of God. But the church, as an organization puts up by God, has to be who God is. God sends rain and sunshine upon the believers and the unbelievers alike. Therefore, the church has to take care of the societies and communities in which she finds herself. The white people who brought the gospel to the blacks were involved in caring ministries. They built schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and free accommodations for communities to some extent. Their schools were affordable and the poor pupils and students enjoyed free education. The white Christians saw evil in slave trade and abolished it. Mary Slessor saw evil in killing of twins in Nigeria and stopped it. The doctrine of prosperity supposed to benefit the poor communities and people instead of only the church leaders.
The ministry of caring for the people in the world still remaining the workable gospel that win souls alongside the preaching and the teaching of the Words. One of the things that bring people of different tribes, personalities and religionists together is when things are made available to be shared to people. The church can win souls and make the souls to abide in Christ if what the wealthy and rich people gave to her are used to better the lots of the needy. Presently, God wants to see the influence of the churches in helping the poor people irrespective of tribes and religions. It is actually costly and at times discouraging to run with caring ministries. But it is the most valuable desire of God for His church. The beloved, this ought to be what each of us should be promoting today. The church cannot be church if the caring for the world is selfishly neglected.
PRAYER:
FATHER GOD, always show your church the needs of the world, how much of Salvation, materials, socials amenities etc., she needs and encourage the church to attend to these needs in Jesus name.
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