MODELING THE LORD'S MINISTRY: The Ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 9:35; cf. 9:31, 36)

"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction." ~Matthew 9:35 ESV~
http://bible.com/59/mat.9.35.ESV

This is a clear prospective of how the LORD did ministry.  

1. (Discipleship) - Teach - "teaching in their synagogues" - within the fellowship of believers (the church) -- (9:35b). 

2. (Evangelism) - Preach - "proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom" - to those out of fellowship of believers (the lost) -- (9:35b).

3. (Benevolence) - Meeting needs -"healing" those with "disease" & "afflicted" with acts of charity/love (amongst the church and the lost - "every") -- (9:35c).

Confessing Sin as Culprits or Children: Which are you? Also, which are you doing?

"Father, I have sinned." -- Luke 15:18

 It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in His precious blood need not make a confession of sin, as culprits or criminals, before God the Judge, for Christ has taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they no longer stand where they can be condemned, but are once and for all accepted in the Beloved; but having become children, and offending as children, ought they not every day to go before their heavenly Father and confess their sin, and acknowledge their iniquity in that character?

There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child.

The Father's bosom is the place for penitent confessions.  We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God.

                         --- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
                             "MORNING AND EVENING"

OBEDIENCE: The Enabling of the LORD in us for His Glory

 

The Apostle Paul says to the believers/saints at Philippi: 

"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  ~ (NASB -Phil 2:13-14)

 
Obedience that the LORD requires is totally that place that is humanly impossible, but only with the LORD-possible...and when done, you know that you did not do this on your own strength.  There are for us, no bragging rights in obedience.  Only Christ-exalting, Christ-glorifying praise for His enabling!!!

GOOD WORKS: From Whence Do They Come?

Goods works are the fruit of faith (Epsesians 2:8, 10). Truth (aka God's Word - John 17:17) is the substance faith is to be built upon (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:1), and good works show the proof it (faith based on the truth) has taken place (James 2:17, 18).

Loosing the Foolishness of a Child

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him." ~Proverbs 22:15~ This text in Proverbs 15:22 still proves that there is something wholesome and loving about corporal chastisement or spanking when needed. It shows love for the child by loosing he/she from the bonds of foolishness. Foolishness, which of course in our days of lately, still have children in bondage, as well as their parents, and our society. All of this foolishness is occuring simply because we won't do as this liberating truth is teaching us, in order that we would all be truly free.