Memorise: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 1st Corinthians 3:6
Read: 2nd Corinthians 8:1-15 (KJV)
1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.
7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
10 And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.
12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:
14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:
15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
Bible in one year:
Psalm 1-8,
Matthew 20:1-19,
Hymnal:
Sing hymn 12
Message:
One thing that interests me very much about our Father in Heaven is that He loves collaboration. In the beginning, He demonstrated this attribute when He wanted to created man in His image (Genesis 1:26).
He summoned the opinion of the Godhead, because the man to be created must bear resemblance to them all. After creating man, He went ahead to share some of His responsibilities with him, which was one of the reasons why He created man in the first place. All through history, God has been working in partnership with man on earth. When He would destroy the earth due to the proliferation of evil, He found Noah as a worthy instrument to partner with in warning people of the impending doom and building an ark of salvation (Genesis 6). When the salvation of mankind was to be activated, God saw a worthy vessel in a young virgin called Mary. God partnered with her and she surrendered her womb for His use (Luke 1:26-38). When Christ came, He quickly summoned some people with whom he worked until He went to the Cross, and He commissioned them to continue from where He stopped after His ascension into heaven (Mark 3:14-19, Acts 1:6-9). These examples show that God’s use of partnership in carrying out His divine agenda is established. I pray that the Almighty God will open your eyes today to see how important you are in His plans.
Paul got the inner workings of God’s principle of multilateral partnership right. In today’s memory verse, he explained that he might plant and Apollos might water, but the increase only comes from God. In other words, the success of the divine agenda is the collective responsibility of God and His human partners, especially in the area of soul-winning. Our Lord Jesus Christ also made this clear in John 15:4-5. To win the whole world for Christ requires a multilateral partnership with each and every one of us playing our part. Those who are given to preaching should continue to preach, and those called to ministration should do so as unto the Lord. Those who have the privilege of staying on their secular jobs should know that the purpose is to finance the work of the full-timers, while full-timers should not see themselves as being more spiritual than those who God has kept in secular jobs to bring meat into His storehouse. At the time of reward, it shall be as decreed in 1st Samuel 30:24:
“… but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.”
All that is required of you is faithfulness is your given area of stewardship.
Prayer Point
Father, please unite Your Church and drive away the spirit of division, so that we might unite for exploits.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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