Under Authority
Read: Matthew 28:18-20
“Under authority”
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” -Matthew 28:18-20
In the closing verses of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus made the very bold statement as an introduction to the Great Commission given to His followers. The Lord Jesus made a great claim to have “all authority in heaven and on earth,” and this authority was the basis for the disciples’ obedience to the Great Commission.
While living on the earth, Jesus demonstrated authority over everything. He demonstrated authority in his teaching (Matthew 7:29), healing (Matthew 8:1-13), over demons, over nature (Matthew 8:27) and in forgiving sins (Matthew 9:6). By His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated all enemies including death and won for Himself all authority.
When we read the book of Acts, we see that the early disciples operated on the basis of the Lord’s sovereign authority. They ministered in His name. They depended on His power and guidance. They did not face the lost world on the basis of their own authority, but on the authority of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:30-36)
Even today, Jesus has authority and control over every situation and He wants us to go into the world (which includes our daily work) with that basis. Authority is necessary to empower service. It means that if our mission is the Great Commission, we cannot fail. It means that we have His authority when we are engaged in the mission He has given us to serve others.
When we understand this basis for reaching people with the gospel under His authority and making disciples out of them, we have no excuses of our own limitations or lack of power and authority. We also do not need to be afraid of anything when we are under the greatest authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples this week and every week!
Blessed week!
Joseph, PROFIT Singapore
Shine like Stars
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” -Philippians 2:14-15
The apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in Philippi. He contrasts the life of a believer with the lives of those in the world. Unsaved people complain and find fault, but followers of Christ rejoice instead of grumbling. Society around us is “twisted and distorted,” but the Christian stands straight because he lives his life by God’s Word.
Paul is also highlighting here about the impact believers can have in a world that is running contrary to their life and faith. When followers of Christ imitate Christ’s humility and face life with the joyful spirit (not with grumbling), they are so like the children of God and it is impossible for them not to impact the world around them.
The original recipients of these words, the believers in Philippi Indeed followed these words well in their lives which impacted their city significantly. Philippi was a town of not more than 15 thousand people at that time. The believers were small in numbers and probably meeting in houses in a few small groups.
But in the next few centuries, 4 to 5 Churches were built, with one of them as large as the size of the entire marketplace in the city. In a town of not more than 15 thousand people, this was quite an impact. What started in Paul’s day as a small number of people in 2-3 houses became literally thousands of people and a citywide movement.
Indeed the Philippians shined for Christ and impacted their city. They held firmly the word of life (which is the gospel) and lived their lives well among the crooked generation. The same applies to us in our workplaces too. When a small group of believers take the gospel seriously and shine it through their lives where they are placed, the impact can become a citywide movement. Don’t you Long for that to be true?
Say NO to grumbling this week, but yes to rejoicing in the Lord and you will Shine for Christ!!
Blessed week!
Joseph, PROFIT Singapore
Seeing new ways
“Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.”
Acts 9:8-9
“Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,”
Acts 9:18
Saul (the apostle Paul, before his conversion) was zealous and working hard in his own old ways. When he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was struck down by a light that both opened his eyes and blinded him. This can be a good metaphor for our own crisis moments. In a crisis, we are at once blinded and have our eyes opened to new ways.
When you face difficult situations, you may feel temporarily sightless and lost direction. You don’t know exactly what the next days or months will bring. At the same time, you may also start seeing life in a new light. God can use this time to open your eyes to a new way. When you feel blinded and lost direction, He can give you new insight.
In a times of difficulty, God’s encouragement can often come from other people. After Paul’s life-changing experience on the road to Damascus, Paul went into the city where a man by the name of Ananias came to help him. Ananias prayed that Paul might see again. Following his prayers, Paul was completely restored to health. This story shows that even if your sight is limited, God could send others to you for encouragement and help. Or there could be someone you can reach out to help during these new work situations.
Let God open your eyes to see the new realities of life in your difficult moments this week. May He send you the right help and support and above all give you direction to do things in ways you’ve not done before!
Blessed week!
Joseph, PROFIT Singapore
Slow to Believe
“Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.”
Mark 16:14
The emphasis in Mark 16:9–14 is on the unbelief of the disciples, who were mourning and weeping instead of rejoicing at the good news of the resurrection of Jesus. Though Jesus predicted it several times and taught the disciples about how He would die and be raised again, they couldn’t believe because of the sorrow they experienced.
Jesus prepared them ahead for His death and resurrection. But they simply couldn’t imagine how Jesus’ death fit into God’s purpose and their own expectations. If we do not let go of our human way of viewing the world and see it through the words of Jesus and the scriptures, We cannot see the goodness of the Lord through the world events and the plan of God amidst the unexpected events.
We may have our own assumptions about life, God and our future -which could prevent us from seeing the work of God around us. In times of uncertainty, We need to rely on the scriptures through which the Lord has spoken to us. In times of doubt, there are signs of God’s love, protection, and deliverance around us we can point to. When we continue to believe His words, his signs to us, we ourselves will see the resurrected Saviour and fully embrace Him soon.
What are some of the assumptions you hold about life, God, or your future, that could be keeping you from seeing what Jesus might be up to in your life? Are your difficulties today keeping you from seeing the work of God around your life? The resurrection account shows us that the only way to embrace the risen Jesus is to let go of our normal ways of viewing the world around us. Only then can we open ourselves to the surprising power of God’s love for our world through us.
Blessed week ahead experiencing and showing the resurrected Saviour to the world!
Joseph,
PROFIT Singapore
King on a donkey
“King on a donkey”
“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” Matthew 21:5
In the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we are seeing the paradoxical nature of His kingship. The disciples, for some time then, wanted Jesus to openly declare his kingship. But Jesus was not budging to that. They knew His power, His glory and His ability to perform miracles. They must have thought “Jesus is finally doing something right”. They must be quite thrilled thinking that it was the moment for Jesus to declare His kingship to the world.
But there was a problem: Jesus chose to ride on a donkey. Kings do not come riding on a donkey but servants do. Instead of riding on a warhorse like a victorious king, Jesus rode on a donkey like a servant. Despite being the eternal king, Jesus takes the position of a servant. And He is also vulnerable and defenceless – one who is riding on a donkey could easily be slaughtered. What kind of King is he?
Jesus is saying, “I am the king, but not the kind of king you expect – I am the gentle king, the dying king, the servant king” He is the king that’s higher than the heavens, yet He comes so low to fulfil all the requirements to save us from our sins. “Sin” is like servants putting themselves in the place of a king. For offering Salvation, Jesus the mighty king put himself in a place of a servant.
As the world faces many crisis situations at the moment, we may have our own idea of how God should act in our lives or in the current crisis in the world. Like the disciples, we may expect Jesus to come in His power destroy all the evil and end the crisis in a moment. But God may surprise us and the world by acting in a much different way than we thought. But it’s about His way, His will and His purpose. If we want to accept his kingship, it should be in his terms and not ours. He will not let us and the world have our way, our will or wish.
Surrender to his kingship and His ways today because He is worthy and He is the true deliverer. He will bring about the much needed deliverance in His way and in His time as He knew it fully. He will also turn you into a gentle servant for His kingdom to touch the lives of people around you and bring them under His kingship too!
Blessed week ahead having Jesus as your king and let Him have His way in your life!
Joseph,
PROFIT Singapore
