Oh, To Live Again...

During our three English-language services on Sunday, our guest speaker was Reverend Dimas Salaberrios. Pastor Dimas, a prayer ministry leader who has a heart for serving God, will minister at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene for our March revival series (click here for schedule).

In yesterday's morning services, Pastor Dimas spoke with us from Luke 4, Isaiah 61, and Leviticus 25. He encouraged us to take Jesus's ministry objectives and make them our own. According to Luke 4:16-21, Jesus came into ministry with a particular mandate:

Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and the regaining of sight to the blind,

to set free those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” (Luke 4:16-21, NET Bible)

Though we might be tempted to say something like “Well, that was Jesus and He was perfect—I can’t do all that,” our Lord has also given us a particular mandate. We are called to be ministers of the gospel of grace, and God has given us His strategic plan. As we go through our day, let us check ourselves against the Luke 4 passage:

v  Are we filled with the Spirit of God?

v  Are we intentional about proclaiming the good news of Christ to the poor?

v  Do we work towards helping captive people gain release from bondage?

v  Do we actively pray and fast for the healing and deliverance of others?

v  Are we committed to making Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:35-42) a realized experience?

Lord God, thank You for giving us this privilege of participation in Your work. Give us Your grace and boldness, so that we might be effective ministers of Your gospel.