Tag: evangelists

The Birth of Christ Was Perfectly Timed

Galatians 4:4
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was born when He was? Mankind certainly could have benefitted from His arrival at any point in time. So why was He born exactly when He was born?

Consider that Jesus was born at a time when the whole world spoke and understood one language. The Greek language, which had been mandated during time of Alexander the Great, remained the prevalent language spoken throughout all of Rome’s conquered territories. The early evangelists could travel to any point in the Roman Empire, deliver their message in Greek and know that their message would be understood.

Because the Romans had built a massive road system unlike anything the world had ever known, travel was relatively easy. The early evangelists were able to get to any major population group within the Roman Empire. To add to the ease of travel, unlike most other time periods before Christ’s arrival, the Roman Empire quieted the warring factions. Worldwide peace was established for over 200 years. During this time frame, Roman centuries were posted along the major roadways to insure that there was no impediment to safe travel within the conquered territories.

As a final element of God’s perfectly timed plan, we find that the Jews had been dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. Even though there was no longer a central temple for the Jews, there were active synagogues built throughout the Roman territory. These synagogues were attended regularly. They made for easy access points to disseminate the Good News of the Gospel throughout the land.

With all these factors coinciding perfectly, it is remarkable how ideal the circumstances were for the rapid spread of the story of Jesus and His salvation message for all of mankind. And it was all in perfect accordance with the many prophecies that were fulfilled to the letter. The arrival of Our Savior was not only perfectly timed, it was a confirmation of the infallible nature of the Word of God.

Let us consider in awe that Almighty God was just as purposeful in selecting our time on this earth as He was in selecting the time for His Son. Let us recognize that we were all created for this exact time and place in the history of mankind. Let us rejoice in knowing that Our Father in heaven has a specific plan for our lives on this earth and with Him for all eternity.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the miraculous birth of Your Son, Jesus. We thank You for giving each of us the gift of life. We rejoice in knowing that You created each of us with a sovereign, gracious purpose for our lives. We bless the name of Jesus who shed His blood so that we may be worthy to do the things that You have created us to do. We exalt the Holy Spirit for standing by us so that we may overcome our weaknesses. We pray for the strength to persevere in pursuing Your will for our lives and not our own. May the fruit of our efforts be our gifts back to you this Christmas season and all the days of our lives. We ask all these things in the name of Your dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Receiving the Gifts Prepared for Us through the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:13
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Paul teaches that Jesus gave His church these gifts: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and the teachers. He provided these gifts so that the Body of Christ could be prepared to be His perfect bride. We are all called to learn from the gifted ministers that are placed in our lives. At some level, we are also called to express the gifts given to us so that we may fulfill our responsibilities in the Body of Christ.

God in His sovereign rule placed each of us exactly where He wants us. He did not place us where we are to stand alone. He placed each of us in a place that is linked perfectly with the world around us for the good of the Body of Christ.

Each one of us is called to be both a receptor of light and a beacon of light. It is our individual responsibility to let God work in us by seeking out and receiving the ministerial gifts offered by the Body of Christ. It then becomes our responsibility to let God work through us as we become active vessels of His perfect gifts to build up the Body of Christ.

We must continually ask ourselves, “Am I building myself up in Christ? Am I also building up the Body of Christ? We will be meeting the complete and full standard of Our Savior when we are maturing in Christ as both a student and as a teacher.

Let us be alert to whom God has placed in our lives. Let us seek out those who can build us up for Christ. Let us stand ready to use our gifts to build up those around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for placing us among family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who, through Your handiwork, will help perfect us in Christ. We thank You for giving us the opportunity to help perfect them by following the urgings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We praise Your name for giving us this magnificent Body of Christ here on earth so that we can learn to measure up to the full and complete standard of Our Savior. May we live our lives for Your glory and for the good of Your kingdom. We ask all these things in the name of Our Lord, Our King and Our Master, Jesus Christ.