THE MISSIONARY SPIRIT OF APOSTLE PHILIP

MISSIONARY is a person commissioned by the church to spread the faith or to carry on a humanitarian work.

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (v.47) “Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knoweth thou me?” Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou was under the fig tree, I saw thee.” (v.48)

“ Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I sae thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.”(v.50)

“If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven.” (Matt 10:32-33, New Living Translation)

William Wilkerson, writes of four types of bones: Wish bones. These individuals spend time wishing others would do the work. Ironically, if they spend as much time working as they do wishing, valuable work would get done. Jaw bones. Needless to say, these people spend a lot of time talking about the work that needs to be done but never getting anything done.

Knuckle bones. These are the people who love to knock down what everyone is doing. These people usually quit working as soon as they find a job. Reason? They pour all their efforts into criticizing others. Back bones. These are the productive bones. They get the work done and aren’t concerned with who gets the credit. William Wilkerson, writes of four types of bones:

Apostle Paul writes the Christians in Corinth thus: “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 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.” (2 Cor 3:1-6, New International Version)