Monthly Devotion - October 2024
DARE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR CHRIST
" And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24 KJV)
As usual, in October 2024, we, the GMI family, will again hold a Retreat
Encounter (Meeting) inviting all spiritual leaders, administrators, workers
and congregation members in the GMI environment to unite and gather together
in Braunfels, Hessen. One of the purposes of holding the retreat is to
invite all members of the family of God throughout the ranks of GMI to
be ready to pay the price for Christ, the benefits of which are extraordinary
for each individual. We are all called to carry out ministry in accordance
with His gifts, plans and will and we are challenged to dare to pay the
price for Christ. It is very important to participate in this congregation's
Retreat Encounter. But the Lord Jesus always gives freedom to everyone
He calls (1 Corinthians 7:22). Basically, the Retreat Encounter (meeting)
is an important means for achieving the church's vision and mission. His
word in Ephesians 4:16 says - "From Him the whole body, joined and
held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up
in love, as each part does its work." We as a large GMI family spread
across 7 cities need to gather together at least once a year in this Retreat
event and be bound together by the service of all its parts. The Retreat
is a meeting place to strengthen each other and serve each other together.
Even though we are "free people", God specifically wants us
to be ready to serve Him and even dare to pay the price for Him. In the
Gospel of John 12:26, ??the Lord Jesus said, "Whoever serves Me must
follow Me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. Whoever serves
Me the Father will honour." Fulfilling a calling according to God's
plan and will is not easy if our hearts and minds are still filled with
personal plans and desires. People who are ready to serve Christ must
also be ready to pay the price for Christ. Through the implementation
of this Encounter Retreat, all of us without exception are called to be
ready to welcome Christ's second coming. Everyone in the GMI family and
every servant of His is given the same opportunity to be able to prepare
themselves to welcome the plan of His return. To fulfil this calling according
to His plan and will, we need to pay the price for participation, sacrifice
of time, money and energy. The Apostle Paul is a personal figure who can
be an example and role model for those of us who long to fulfil His calling.
In his calling, he always learned to forget what was behind him and direct
himself to what was before him (Philippians 3:13). He was able to do that
because he realised how important it was to live a life and ministry according
to His plan and will. He also did not forget to remind others. Before
his death he testified about what he had done: “ I have fought
a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2
Timothy 4:7 KJV). And in the end, with full victory and confidence, he
could say: “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and
not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy
4:8). He was convinced that this did not only apply to him, but also to
all who were willing to pay the price for Christ, who were willing to
fulfil his calling and who longed for his coming. May the Lord Jesus bless
you!
By Pastor Silwanus Obadja M.Th.
...Monthly
Devotion - November 2024