Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional; Saturday, 17th August 2019;
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc., DD;
BEYOND HUMAN ABILITIES;
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (1 Corinthians 2:4).
That you have a gift of the gab or have your way with words doesn’t mean you’ll be able to persuade sinners to be saved or turn them to righteousness. Beyond one’s intellectual prowess, charisma or ability to persuade others with enticing words, there’s a spirituality of ministry that must be understood.
Being an effective Christian or minister of the Gospel has nothing to do with your human ability; your ability and competence must be by the Spirit! The Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, expresses this clearly for us in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6: “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant–not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (NIV).
Life in the Kingdom, and our service to God have to be by faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why the greatest sermons in the world may never change anybody’s life. The wisest words may never change the hardest of hearts. The greatest communicators of the world may never be able to go into the deepest core of human nature, no matter how smartly they communicate; no matter their choice of words! Without the Holy Spirit, it’ll all be lifeless.
It’s the Spirit that “quickeneth”; that means gives life. Zechariah 4:6 says, “…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Hallelujah! 1 Corinthians 4:20 (NKJV) declares, “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power”; the power of the Holy Ghost!
Prioritize fellowship with the Holy Spirit and meditation on the Word. That’s where you get more acquainted with Him to know His will, with power to walk accordingly, and be an effective witness for the Lord.
PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for making me an effective witness for Christ; my competence is born of you to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. My words are operative, efficacious, productive, fruitful and potent with grace, producing righteousness in the hearts of sinners, and bringing them to the true and accurate knowledge of your love, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 AMPC
5 Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.
6 [It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the Law] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive.
Philippians 4:13 AMPC
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
1 Corinthians 2 & Psalms 107-108
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Luke 17:1-10 & 1 Samuel 2
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