OPEN HEAVENS 2016: Sunday January 10 THE POWER OF THE MISSIONARY MANDATE

Sunday January 10

THE POWER OF THE MISSIONARY MANDATE

Memorise:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 1:8
   
Read: Mark 16:15-18
15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Message   
The power of the missionary mandate has been trivialized in many quarters of the Church. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the inevitability of this qualification. It is amazing that the letters of the New Testament have been reduced to mere words of counsel and not the law. We are so scared of the phenomenon called the "law" that we try to avoid mentioning it, not to talk of enforcing it. The "freedom gospel" that the devil preached to our first parents has become the order of the day in the Church. The effect is our not paying close attention to the inescapable instructions given to us by Jesus Christ who is Himself, Grace Personified.
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge...Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" 
2 Peter 1:5, 10

When our Lord Jesus Christ was going to be with His Father, He gave us a mandate to reach the world with His gospel. However, He was not presumptuous and we should not be too. We cannot afford to jump the gun. He said; "wait for the promise of the Father..." (Acts 1:4). Pursuing missionary mandate without the power of the Holy Spirit is suicidal. This is the reason why we have casualties among the modern day missionaries because some of them are not spiritually equipped. They have zeal without knowledge; the type Uzzah had when the Ark of Covenant was in transit.
"And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.  And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God." 
2 Samuel 6:6-7

Presumptuous sin killed Uzzah. This is the reason David prayed that God should deliver him from presumptuous sin (Psalms 19:13); the type that destroyed King Saul when he performed the sacrifice before the arrival of the designated priest, Samuel (1 Samuel 13:9). We need to be endued in the Holy Spirit before we can be effective missionaries. The irony of this is that the missionary mandate must be kept by genuine children of God. So, this fact leaves us without the option of whether or not to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. I pray that as many as are thirsty for the baptism of the Holy Spirit will be satisfied with it today in Jesus' name.

Hymn 2

O Jesus, I Have Promised

1.O Jesus, I have promised
to serve thee to the end;
be thou forever near me,
my Master and my friend.
I shall not fear the battle
if thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway
if thou wilt be my guide.

2.    O let me feel thee near me!
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
the tempting sounds I hear;
my foes are ever near me,
around me and within;
but Jesus, draw thou nearer,
and shield my soul from sin.

3.    O let me hear thee speaking
in accents clear and still,
above the storms of passion,
the murmurs of self-will.
O speak to reassure me,
to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
thou guardian of my soul.

4.    O Jesus, thou hast promised
to all who follow thee
that where thou art in glory
there shall thy servant be.
And Jesus, I have promised
to serve thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
my Master and my Friend.

Action Point:
Ensure you rid yourself of all impurities that may hinder Him from coming into your life today. The Holy Spirit is willing to baptize you if you are willing.

THERE IS AN OFFER I WILL LIKE YOU TO GET