BYM ONLINE DESK Blessing English E-magazine Aug 2019 | Page 14

doctrines not only destroy the preacher but sweep away multitudes of people who believe in it. Hence, let us keep a close watch on our lives. Let us leave nothing unattended when the Holy Ghost convicts us. Else, we will also be of those who have had a good start but have gradually drifted away from the Truth. We need to, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Col 4:2). Watchfulness in Ministry Nowadays, people are not willing to come for the Lord's ministry. Though there are several reasons, one of the reasons is that it is being considered as a menial job. Ministry is being looked down because of our behaviour. We are demolishing the Kingdom of God and building our own empires. We are attaching a price tag to what we have received freely. We work as if God is our servant. Gone are the days when we needed money for ministry. It is now ministry for money. We show partiality that has been strictly condemned by the apostle James (2: 1-7). We have forgotten about the Kingdom work and are ablaze to fulfill our worldly passions. Ministry has become yet another avenue to earn. Leonard Ravenhill has clearly captured this as, "The early church was married to poverty, prisons and persecutions. Today, the church is married to prosperity, personality, and popularity." Instead of filling the world with the church, the church is being filled with the world. The ministry that God has given in our hands is His ministry. He sent His only Son to save us and to reconcile mankind to Him. He has entrusted us with this Gospel to win souls for Him. He is eagerly waiting to receive His Church, the bride. He has kept us as caregivers. We need to remember that we are stewards and not shareholders. Christ says, "for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morninglest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." (Mk 13: 35-37) and "Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes." (Lk 12: 37). Let us wake up and be good stewards (Rom 13:11). For when He comes, our work will be tested by fire (1 Cor 3: 10-15). Only what has been done by His standards will last. All else will turn into ash. Let us not minister to meet our needs. Rather let us sacrificially labour for the Lord and reap the reward He has kept in store for us. When I was a child, I used to study using a kerosene lamp. Once, I noticed that the light emitted by it was not sufficient and it was about to die. When I tried to set it right, I noticed that the oil was full and the wick was also long enough. Unable to solve the mystery, I took it to my mom. She just trimmed off the black part of the wick and explained that carbon settles on the wick and it needs to be trimmed occasionally. Yes, dear friends, we may be good or even exceptionally good in lot of things. Let us keep a watch on those little areas where we need to trim on a regular basis. Hence let us trim off that which is unwanted and be ablaze for the Lord. Let us be like the wise virgins who were ready in all possible ways to meet the bridegroom and partook in the marriage feast. Let us watch therefore, for we know neither the day nor the hour of His coming (Mt 25:13). August 2019| www.bymonline.org | page 14