DRAWING NEAR
September 10
Maintaining Spiritual Effectiveness
"Stand firm against the schemes of the devil" (Eph. 6:11).
Satan wants to render you ineffective for Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 16:9 Paul says, "A wide door for effective service
has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." That's typical of
spiritual warfare. The more opportunities you have to serve Christ,
the more adversaries you'll face. That's because Satan seeks to
hinder your spiritual service.
Often seminary students ask me if ministry becomes easier over the
years. In one sense it does because you learn better study skills,
time management, and the like. But in a greater sense it becomes more
difficult because as you labor in the Word, contend for souls, and
struggle against your own weaknesses, Satan opposes you at every
turn.
You can sense something of the difficulty of ministry in Paul's words
to the Thessalonians: "Having thus a fond affection for you, we were
well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our
own lives, because you had become very dear to us. For you recall,
brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not
to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God"
(1 Thess. 2:8-9). To the Ephesian elders he said, "Be on the alert,
remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not
cease to admonish each one with tears" (Acts 20:31).
Every sphere of ministry is important--whether you're a pastor,
homemaker, factory worker, or student. Consequently, every ministry
encounters opposition as Satan attempts to cause friction and
discouragement within families, churches, and work places. Thus,
believers must be humble and gentle toward one another, "being
diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"
(Eph. 4:3). When we do that, the Body of Christ is strengthened and
Satan can't gain a foothold.
Ministry is hard work and the obstacles are great, but the victories
are even greater. So be faithful, knowing that God will reward you
richly.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for the privilege of serving Him--even during the hard
times. Thank Him for the encouragement you receive from His
Spirit, His Word, and your fellow believers.
For Further Study:
According to Romans 8:18, what was Paul's perspective on
difficulties?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Romans 8:18
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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