The Ministries of Paul, Peter and John

© 2012 Jasper Life Publications SERIES: THE MINISTRY WHICH WE FOLLOW AND PRACTICE

Title of this volume: The Ministries of Paul, Peter and John 1st edition - February, 2013 Translated with permission of Editora Árvore da Vida Published by Editora Árvore da Vida in Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, French, Italian and German.

All rights reserved by Jasper Life Publications Inc. 725 Viscount Road London, ON, Canada N6J 4G9 Phone: (519) 472-0350 http://jasperlife.com ISSN 1920-8510 Printed in Canada

Bible Quotations All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other versions of scripture are indicated as follows: ASV American Standard Version lit.

Literal translation

ENJOY! Individually 1. Meet with the Lord early in the morning.

2. As soon as you rise, before doing anything else, take a breath of life, deeply calling on the name of the Lord, “Oh Lord Jesus”.

When doing this, drop all your cares, fears, sadness and sin, and receive the Lord Jesus as life, joy, peace and encouragement.

Call “Lord Jesus” several times throughout the day.

3. Read the verses given each day in order to have a complete idea of the subject to be covered. Remember that the Bible explains the Bible; because of this, you will find quotations from many other books of the Bible aside from the one which we are presenting in this Daily Food.

4. Prayerfully read the verse suggested each day. To do this, each word ought to be repeated, emphasized and proclaimed without haste, as if one were chewing. Do not read the verse too fast, but spend time on each word. In this exercise, do not worry about understanding the verse, but “eat” it, taking it by faith as spiritual food.

5. Underline and highlight the phrases and words in the explanatory text that most impress you. Pay special attention to the Key Point. This point will function as a key to unlock the spiritual significance of the text. “Digest” it during the day, repeating it to yourself. In this manner, the text that you read in the morning will be your spiritual food all day long.

6. Share what you gain with those you are related to at home, at school, at work, etc. They need the life that you receive through the word.

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ENJOY! In Small Groups 1. Daily Food is an excellent tool for small groups meeting to study the Bible. These small groups may be informal and be characterized by mutual care among the members.

2. A small group meeting can be formed of household members, relatives and neighbors, friends who live nearby, classmates, or work colleagues.

3. Try to meet regularly with members of your small group meeting in order to read Daily Food together.

4. When together, read the suggested passages for each day and prayerfully read the verse of the day.

5. Try to apply the Key Point to your daily life and its difficulties, and to your personal and professional life. Make the word of God applicable to your living. In this way everyone can actively participate and be mutually edified.

6. Take the opportunity to pray together for individual needs or problems.

7. Whenever possible, bring guests to your small group meeting.

Then more people can be supplied by God’s word.

May you all receive life abundantly!

The editors

PS: Don’t forget to look at the Complementary Reading suggested at the end of each week. It is very helpful.

CONTENTS Week 1 – Message 17 A General Vision of the Beginning of the New Testament Ministry (Matt. 4:1-4)

The Lord is Worthy............................................................................ 7 Believing in the Promise and Trusting in God’s Word ...................... 9 God Never Gives up on His People.................................................. 12 Repenting and Receiving God’s Mercy............................................ 14 The Need for Repentance................................................................ 17 Keeping the Pure Word of God........................................................ 19 The Ministry of Calling on the Lord’s Name................................... 22

Week 2 – Message 18 The Ministry of Paul (Eph. 1:1-3)

Faithfully Carrying Out God’s Commission..................................... 24 The Way to Build Up the Body of Christ ........................................ 26 The Revelation of the New Testament Ministry.............................. 29 The Work Carried Out According to the Spirit’s Leading.............. 31 The Danger of Not Following the Spirit.......................................... 34 The New Testament Revelation in Paul’s Writings......................... 37 The End of Paul’s Ministry............................................................... 39

Week 3 – Message 19 The Ministry of Peter (1) – (1 Pet. 4:12-13)

The Ministry of the Twelve Apostles............................................... 41 The Riches of God in the Lord’s Name........................................... 44 Paul’s Epistolary Ministry................................................................. 47 Continuing the Ministry Through Peter.......................................... 49 Peter’s Ministry: Spirit and Fire........................................................ 52 The Burning Fire of the Spirit Results in an Eternal Weight of Glory.......................................................... 55 The Ministry Which Produces Mature Sons for God...................... 58

Week 4 – Message 20 The Ministry of Peter (2) – (2 Pet. 1:3-4)

Enlightened and Purified by the Fire of the Spirit........................... 59 Regenerated Through the Resurrection of Christ........................... 61 Repenting and Practicing God’s Revelation.................................... 63 Called unto the Lord’s Glory and Virtue......................................... 65 The Work of the Triune God Revealed to Us.................................. 67 Practicing the Word and Growing in Life........................................ 69 Like God in Life and Nature............................................................ 71 5

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Week 5 – Message 21 Why Be Born Again? (1 Pet. 1:3-4) Regeneration.................................................................................... 73

Setting the Mind on the Spirit......................................................... 76

An Encouraging Testimony.............................................................. 78

Baptized with the Spirit and Fire...................................................... 81

The Result of the Purifying Work of Our Faith............................... 84

The New Birth and the Inheritance................................................ 86

The Present Momentary Trial

and the Government of the Coming World................................. 89 Week 6 – Message 22 The Dispensing of the Triune God (Eph. 1:3-23)

Not Suppressing Our Light with the Day-to-day Needs................. 91 Tradition Hinders Us from Responding to the Lord’s Speaking...... 93 Coordinated Teams to Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom............. 95 The Maturing of the Apostle Peter.................................................. 97 Being Patient with the Young Ones when They Fail....................... 99 Following the Direction Determined by the Spirit........................ 101 The Dispensing of the Triune God................................................. 104

Week 7 – Message 23 The Initial Phase of John’s Service (Matt. 17:1-2)

The Beginning of the Ministry of Calling on the Lord’s Name..... 107 Upholders of the New Testament Ministry.................................... 110 Being Purified by Fire in the Present Age...................................... 112 The Beginning of the Apostle John’s Ministry............................... 114 The Revelations and Admonitions Given to John Concerning the Churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira..... 116 The Revelations and Admonitions Given to John Concerning the Churches in Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.................. 119 Lessons for Those Who Desire to Be Overcomers........................ 122

Week 8 – Message 24 The Ministry of the Apostle John in His Maturity (John 21:18-22)

Whether Good or Evil, God Does Not Accept That Which Proceeds out of the Soul-life................................. 124 John: Preserved by God to Receive a Revelation........................... 126 The Revelations Given to the Apostle John.................................. 129 Learning from the Experiences of One Another........................... 131 Actively Cooperating with the Lord.............................................. 133 The Vision and the Practice........................................................... 135 Let Us Go Up and Take the Land.................................................. 138

Week

1 – MONDAY

Scripture reading:

John 21:20-23; Acts 13:16-19 Read with prayer:

And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:9-10).

The title of this series of the Daily Food is The Ministry Which We Follow and Practice. Revelation 5 tells us that God had a scroll in His right hand, and that no one was found worthy to open it or even look at it. Witnessing that, John wept much, yet one of the elders said to him: “Do not weep.

Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals” (v. 5). Praise the Lord! As the Son of Man begotten of Mary, the Lord Jesus was tempted in all aspects of human living, yet overcoming in them all. The Lord truly fulfilled His ministry by always placing God’s will above His own. Like Him, we must also go through experiences which help us deny ourselves that we may follow and practice this ministry.

In the Old Testament, we see the exodus of the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Led by Moses, the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness towards the good land.

There, the people wandered for forty years until the old generation was no more (Acts 13:16-19; 1 Cor. 10:5). Only the new generation was allowed into the good land of Canaan.

Here we can see the need to abandon, in the “wilderness,”

A General Vision of the Beginning of the New Testament Ministry

THE LORD IS WORTHY

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everything that is associated with our old nature (our soul life) that we may reach the kingdom. Although we have already been saved from the world and baptized, we still need to journey on in order to eliminate everything that is related to the soul life.

The New Testament ministry began with the Lord Jesus Himself. Having fulfilled His ministry according to the Father’s will, in God’s eyes, He was the only one worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals, thus revealing the divine administration, from His death to the coming of His kingdom and the new heaven and new earth.

Not only did the Lord Jesus perfectly fulfill His ministry, but He also entrusted it to His servants. Many ministries have been raised up by God to continue the ministry of the New Testament. When one of God’s ministers died, his ministry would come to an end, and another would take his place.

The apostle John, however, was an exception. Even after his death, his ministry remained. This does not refer to John’s initial ministry, but to his latter ministry, which he carried out in his maturity. In the last chapter of his life, John spoke of the things revealed to him by the Spirit while in exile. He also recorded words spoken by the Lord Jesus which had not been mentioned in the other gospels. This ministry, the ministry of the Spirit and life, which was initiated by the Lord Jesus and lastly entrusted to His servant John, is what we follow and practice.

Key point: Abandoning the soul-life to reach the kingdom.

My key point: Question: Why was the Lord Jesus considered worthy in the eyes of God?

Week

1 – TUESDAY

Scripture reading:

Gen. 11:31-32; 12:8; 13:3-4; Matt. 4:4 Read with prayer:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding (Prov. 3:5).

BELIEVING IN THE PROMISE

A General Vision of the Beginning of the New Testament Ministry

AND TRUSTING IN GOD’S WORD

In order to reach the kingdom of the heavens, we must be freed from the anxiety for sustenance and leave idolatry and sin. Unfortunately however, Satan, the prince of this world, has enslaved people by means of these three items.

The Lord, however, has called us to leave all that behind and follow Him. In the Old Testament, God appeared to Abraham and called him out of his father’s house and his land, called Ur of the Chaldeans (Acts 7:2-4). This land represented the religious world, which is associated with idolatry. When Abraham received God’s calling, he was still young, which is probably why he did not take the initiative to leave his father’s house and depart on his own. Abraham’s father, Terah, was the one who took him out of that land, later settling in a place called Haran in Assyria (Gen. 11:31b).

That region represented a land of sin, according to the book of Jonah; the city of Nineveh was also there.

Since Abraham had not fully heeded God’s calling yet, He appeared to him once again to lead him to the good land of Canaan (12:1-3). Abraham journeyed on, step by step, without knowing where he was going, as God would lead the way. When he arrived in Canaan, Abraham built an altar

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and called on the name of the Lord. He also pitched up his tent next to the altar, which meant that his habitation and fellowship were with God (v. 8). Abraham’s daily living was to serve God and call on His name, while being supplied in the land he had been given for life and sustenance.

Later on, God tried Abraham’s faith by allowing him to go through some tribulations. With regards to his sustenance, for instance, Abraham was tested when a drought brought famine to the land of Canaan. If Abraham’s faith had prevailed, he would have stayed there, trusting that God would provide both water and food. Since God had brought Abraham to that land, He would never allow him to perish there. Nevertheless, since Abraham’s faith was still small, he went down to the land of Egypt in search of his own sustenance. Being irrigated by the Nile River, the land of Egypt did not depend on rain to produce food. There, however, Abraham was put to shame after allowing his wife to be taken to the house of Pharaoh, and pretending that she was his sister. Consequently, God punished Pharaoh with great plagues, and Abraham was forced to return to the land of Canaan. He returned to the place where he had built an altar, and he called on the name of the Lord (13:3-4).

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus was tempted by the devil in the matter of sustenance, but He overcame that temptation. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, the Lord became hungry. On that occasion, the evil one suggested that He should turn stones into bread, but Jesus answered and said: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:4). Hallelujah!

In both accounts, we can see the lesson that we must trust in God rather than relying on our own devices to solve our problems. Although we may be going through difficulties,

we should patiently await the Lord’s deliverance, trusting in His Word. This way, we will learn to live by faith.

Key point: Trusting in God’s promise, even amid trials.

My key point:

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Question: Regarding the matter of sustenance, how can we learn to live by faith?

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Week

1 – WEDNESDAY

Scripture reading:

Gen. 26:1-2; 37:5-8; 2 Tim. 2:13 Read with prayer:

Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you (Isa. 49:15).

GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON HIS PEOPLE

God’s promise was also extended to the seed of Abraham.

His son, Isaac, also went through the situation of famine and scarcity in the land of Canaan, which caused him to try and go down to Egypt; nevertheless, the Lord appeared to him and did not allow it (Gen. 26:1-2). During the time of Jacob who also inherited God’s promise, there was again a famine in the land of Canaan. Before then, Jacob had twelve sons, among whom was Joseph, who later became governor of Egypt.

Joseph had a dream that one day he would be over his brothers and father as foretold in that vision (37:5-8). Taken by jealousy, his brothers devised a plan to take his life, but one of them, Reuben, was against it. Nonetheless, Joseph was sold as a slave to some merchants who were going to Egypt, and his brothers lied to their father, Jacob, telling him that he had died. Even so, God had a plan for Joseph’s life. According to the divine arrangement, he suffered in the land of Egypt, being perfected through sufferings and injustices to become governor of that land. While interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, God revealed to Joseph that a period of seven plentiful years in the land would precede another of seven years of great scarcity. Therefore, Pharaoh appointed Joseph governor of

Key point: God’s sovereignty is to make us reign.

My key point: Question: In your day-to-day life, do you recognize the situations provided by God for your repentance?

A General Vision of the Beginning of the New Testament Ministry

Egypt and built storehouses where the grain should be kept, so that during the time of scarcity there would be food to preserve life on the earth.

During the time of scarcity, Jacob sent his sons to the land of Egypt that they might buy food. Joseph received them as governor, yet they did not recognize him. Joseph also tested them, and in the end, revealed himself to them. After that, he told them to go back and bring his father, Jacob, and all his family; a total of seventy people came back to Egypt and lived in the land of Goshen. They had left the land of Canaan and began living a life focused on the sustenance and comfort available in Egypt.

As time and the generations went by, the people of Israel forgot God’s promise, yet God never forgot them. After four hundred years in Egypt, God allowed a new Pharaoh to rise to the throne, one who did not know Joseph, so the Israelites would turn their hearts back to Him. Being afflicted and enslaved by the new Pharaoh, the people of Israel remembered and cried for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lord heard their cry and sent out Moses to deliver them. They fled from Egypt and crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness toward the good land of Canaan. At that time, there were nearly six hundred thousand people led by Moses, without counting the women and children.

God’s promise never fails. Although we may forget it, He remains faithful, providing us with situations to lead us to repentance. We thank the Lord for this! (2 Tim. 2:13).

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Week

1 – THURSDAY

Scripture reading:

Exo. 17:6; John 19:34; 1 Cor. 10:14; Eph. 4:22 Read with prayer:

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:15-16).

REPENTING AND RECEIVING GOD’S MERCY

The people of Israel should have spent no more than a few days in the wilderness before arriving at the good land of Canaan; nevertheless, that was not possible. God had already helped them cross the Red Sea, that is, the Israelites had already been delivered from Egypt, but there was still an issue to be resolved: the old man—the old nature that caused them to murmur against Moses and the Lord, refusing to go into the good land. Without eliminating the old man, they were not able to enjoy the good land.

The old man refers to our soul-life, while the good land of Canaan is a type of the kingdom of the heavens. Due to the Israelites’ unbelief and murmuring against the Lord, their generation was not allowed to go into the promised land, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb (Num. 14:26-30; Eph. 4:22).

For that reason, it was necessary for Moses to lead the people for forty years until that entire old generation perished in the wilderness. On a certain occasion, the people contended against Moses because there was no water. Then, following the Lord’s instructions, Moses struck the rock in Rephidim and water

A General Vision of the Beginning of the New Testament Ministry

came out to quench the thirst of the Israelites (Exo. 17:6). On a different occasion, the people contended again against Moses because of the lack of water. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock, so that water would come out to quench the people’s thirst (Num. 20:8). Moses, however, became angry with the people and struck the rock twice (vv. 10-11). At that moment, he expressed his old nature, his soul-life, which prevented him from sanctifying the Lord. Therefore, God did not allow Moses to go into the promised land.

In the New Testament, that rock represents Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). According to the account of the apostle John, He was wounded for our sake on the cross one time only, as blood and water came out of His side (John 19:34). The water that came out of the Lord Jesus’ side gave us God’s life, while His blood was for our redemption. Christ, as the Rock, was wounded only one time, which means that Moses’ attitude in striking the rock twice, was unacceptable in God’s eyes. Later on, Moses repented and besought the Lord to allow him to go into the good land, but the Lord did not permit it.

Moses and others who lived during the time of the Old Testament did not have the chance to enjoy God’s mercy in the richness it is available to us today. We are blessed with such mercy because in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus lived a normal human life on the earth. He was born in a manger and suffered much persecution since the time of His infancy. The Lord grew up in a city called Nazareth, went through every stage of human growth, and was prepared to carry out the New Testament ministry. After being baptized and anointed, the Lord began preaching repentance for the kingdom of the heavens was near.

The Lord knows human nature and its weaknesses; hence, when we repent, He sympathizes with us and affords us with His mercy (Heb. 4:15-16). We thank God for providing us with

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a way to repentance. We must appreciate every opportunity for repentance, since each one of them was made available to us by the wonderful work of the Lord Jesus.

Key point: Taking advantage of the opportunities for repentance.

My key point: Question: Why was it necessary for the people of Israel to wander through the wilderness for forty years?

Week

1 – FRIDAY

Scripture reading:

Rom. 8:4-11; 12:2 Read with prayer:

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).

Since John the Baptist, who preached repentance and the baptism in water, God has sought to prepare His people for the kingdom of the heavens. This preparation takes place through repentance, which essentially means to renounce the soul-life and being emptied of the old man and its concepts.

In the gospel of Matthew, we can see that the Lord preached repentance and led His disciples to do the same.

Repentance goes beyond a mere change of mind, for in our practice we can all attest to the fact that its meaning is much more profound. Repenting is emptying oneself in order to deny the soul-life. This process does not take place only in the mind, but in our whole soul: mind, emotion, and will.

In Romans 8:10-11, we see that when we receive Christ, our spirit receives life, and that even our mortal body will receive life through His Spirit which dwells in us. This indicates that we have been born again, born of His Spirit, thus becoming God’s children. Moreover, in verse 6 we read that our soul also enjoys life and peace when it is in the Spirit. In this context, the most important items are Spirit and life.

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THE NEED FOR REPENTANCE

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The change of mind which pertains to repentance does not refer to being convinced of a point of view that is different from ours; it refers, in fact, to having our minds transformed by God’s life. In Romans 12:2, Paul tells us how this transformation of the soul takes place: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” This means that, through God’s life, our minds are renewed as we deny our soul-life and reject its influence in order to be prepared for the kingdom.

Even now, we must acknowledge that we are not prepared for the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, for we have not yet sufficiently practiced the Word. Hence, the Spirit repeatedly speaks to us concerning the need for practice. We should not evade admonition unto repentance, for the kingdom of the heavens is indeed near. This is the preaching and the practice of the gospel of the kingdom. Let us acknowledge our real need and regard what is essential for us in God’s eyes: repenting in order to enter into the kingdom of the heavens.

Key point: Transformed through repentance.

My key point: Question: What is the practical meaning of repentance?

Week

1 – SATURDAY

Scripture reading:

Exo. 12:8; Matt. 13:33; 16:12, 18-23; Acts 2:42-47; Eph. 4:12; Rev. 3:8 Read with prayer:

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened (1 Cor. 5:7a). Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:21).

In order to practice the New Testament ministry, apart from repenting, we must call on the Lord’s name and keep His Word (Rev. 3:8). Throughout church history, there have been periods of time in which the practice of calling on the Lord’s name was lost. Moreover, God’s Word has been mixed with the teachings of men, as described in the parable of Matthew 13:33. In this parable, leaven, which represents the teachings of men, was added to three measures of flour, which typify God’s Word.

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were commanded to only eat unleavened bread (Exo. 12:8). In the New Testament, the Lord continues admonishing us to beware of the leaven, not of bread, but that which refers to the traditional and religious teachings.

In Matthew 16, the Lord Jesus warns us of an important matter concerning the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees in the verses that precede the revelation of the church. We should pay attention to verse 12, for it helps to understand the portion that follows. Here, the Lord warns us to reject the teachings which do not originate from God’s pure Word.

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KEEPING THE PURE WORD OF GOD

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When the Lord says that He will build up His church in verse 18, He was not referring to an institution, hierarchical organization, or a building; rather, He was referring to His Body. In the past, we thought that the church was a meeting hall. Nevertheless, according to Ephesians 4:12, the building up of the church is the building up of the Body of Christ, which essentially takes place as God’s life is added to us, regardless of any outward appearance or doctrine.

No matter how good our opinions or experiences may be, we should not emphasize them over the Lord’s burden, or they will become a mixture of “leaven” that will cause us to stray from the pure Word of God. In other words, not only must we deny the evil aspect of our soul-life, but also the good one (Matt. 16:22-23).

In verse 18, the Lord talks about the church’s authority.

This authority is not institutional, but it is related to the keys of the kingdom of the heavens given to those who deny their soul-life and grow in the divine life. The Lord Himself will open the door of the kingdom of the heavens for those who deny themselves. On the other hand, if we do not deny our soul-life, we prevent the growth of the divine life and the door of the kingdom will remain closed to us.

In this context, we can see that the church life is not an organization based on teaching; instead, it is a practical living. That is how the church in Jerusalem began. The first believers called on the Lord’s name, broke bread from house to house, had fellowship in God’s Word, and persevered in prayer (Acts 2:42-47). We must also persevere calling on the Lord’s name and shepherding one another by practicing brotherly love. Moreover, we must shepherd and feed our fellow slaves, not with leavened bread, but with the genuine Word of God.

Key point: Casting out all leaven.

My key point:

A General Vision of the Beginning of the New Testament Ministry

Question: How does the building up of the Body of Christ take place?

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Week

1 – SUNDAY

Scripture reading:

Gen. 4:26; Psa. 56:9; John 7:38-39; Rom. 10:11, 13 Read with prayer:

No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3b). Therefore God also has highly exalted [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:9-11).

THE MINISTRY OF CALLING ON THE LORD’S NAME

In the beginning of the church, not only did the apostles bear the characteristic of leading others to call on the Lord’s name to be saved (Acts 2:21, 38; 3:6; 4:10-12; 5:28; 7:49), but the ministry of the apostle Paul was also marked by that same characteristic. Paul received that commission and fulfilled his ministry (9:15-16, 27-28; Rom. 10:12-13; 1 Cor. 2:2; 12:3; Phil. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 2:22).

We thank God that today we continue calling on the Lord’s name, which leads us to the spirit and to have fellowship with Him. Although this practice may seem mechanical at times, we must continue calling on the Lord’s name with our whole heart, so that, eventually, we may touch God’s life.

I can testify that the Lord’s name brings us more of God’s life. This has taken place among the churches in South America since the beginning of the work of the ministry there - over forty years ago. Many years ago, we led a group of young people from Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo, Brazil) to call on the Lord’s name, and they realized that practice helped them

to gain more of God’s life. As they continued calling on the Lord’s name, the divine life grew in them visibly.

Rather than merely transmitting teachings, calling on the Lord’s name promotes the outflow of God’s life (Gen. 4:26; Psa. 56:9; John 7:38-39). The Lord is the origin of all things, and that is why we call on His name. When we put this to practice, we gain God’s life and are filled with His love that we may love our brothers and those reached through the gospel.

We thank God for entrusting us with the ministry of calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. Let us continue practicing this ministry to enjoy all the riches of the Lord (Rom. 10:12)!

Key point: Calling on the Lord’s name to enjoy all His riches.

Question: What benefits have you enjoyed from calling on the Lord’s name?

Complementary Reading: “God’s Ministers” – chaps. 3-4 – Dong Yu Lan. “Spirit and Fire” – chap. 1 – Dong Yu Lan. “Identified by Calling” – Dong Yu Lan.

A General Vision of the Beginning of the New Testament Ministry

My key point:

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