WHO SENT YOU? ... A VINDICATION OF
PAUL’S APOSTLESHIP.
(References: Matthew 6:1-4, Mark 11: 27-33).
Galatians
1:1
Paul, an
apostle (not of men, neither by man,
but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead
;).
Every man
called of God to do some assignment or the other in the body of Christ must
have had an encounter with the Lord.
What I mean
is: to be called an Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher or Evangelist; there must
have been a “meeting” – an instantaneous crisis experience – with God that’s
real in their experiences to their consciousness. (Read Acts 8:1-22 for an account of Paul’s encounter with God).
For some,
the experience might be a “pleasant” one, for some “unpleasant”, for some
“in-between”… kinda bittersweet … which seals their instructions and sets the
bounds of their calling in the body of Christ.
Saul was a
persecutor of the early church; who pursued his mission with absolute passion:
but a turning point came the day he met the Lord on the way to Damascus … and
the experience transformed him into Paul the Apostle. (Apostle: meaning the sent one).
The
applicability of the lesson here is for no other one but the X-generation of ministers (Apostle,
Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists); “Who sent you?” is the number one question the world asks you and
me; and then “By what power doest thou
these things?” or “By whose
authority?” Jesus was asked, so was Paul, ditto you and me. Paul was
revalidating himself in the Most high and Holy when the question reared its
head in his sub-conscious (?). Sir and Ma, brothers and sisters! The world
would ask me and you too! Who sent you?
Someone
asked me sometimes in December last year (2012), “You call yourself “Reverend”,
where were you ordained? Or who ordained you? To which I replied in all
humility (though with a tinge of humour , “I am ordained by God! (Though my public ministry began at a
service to commission myself and some other brethren to leadership at a campus
fellowship in the university way back 2005 December- 20th precisely),
so, you may be asked too. But always have this answer ready, Galatians 1:1,
Paul (put your name in place of Paul’s), an apostle –the sent one- (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and
God the Father, who raised Him (Christ) from the dead. AMEN!
The scribes,
Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day were commissioned and ordained by the
“High Priests” of those days, so it is today- in our days- in a figure. The
scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees of our days were chosen, called, commissioned
and ordained by their high priests and they ask us, “who, whence, and why are
you ordained? … NOW YOU HAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER!
YOUR HIGH CALLING
Matthew
26:26
And as they
were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it and brake it and gave
it…
Jesus (the
bread of Life) was taken; blessed and given by Papa God to the blessing
generations after generations of men. So likewise, in a figure, to be used of
God in your generation, to be sent of God to your generation- Papa God takes
you, blesses you and gives you to the blessing of your generation.
AMEN.
Shalom!
God’s Peace.
@Rev.
Richie ’Bidemi Olu-Davies. Nigeria.
All
quotes from the scriptures were taken from the King James Version of the Holy
Bible. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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