8 minute read
In the Beginning & the End
IN THE
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too…” (Acts 17:6)
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I wonder, if these charges were brought against us in a court of law, would we be found guilty?I
MAN CREATED FOR DOMINION
It is commonly held, at least in traditional religious circles, that the
Heavens and the Earth were created by God. They both reflected His glory and His handiwork, “The
Heavens declare the glory of
God and the Earth manifests His handiwork.” (Psa.19:1)
Although His creation was self-sustainable, it required management to guard it and to steer its development in keeping with the will and purpose of its Creator. Hence God created mankind to steward and to govern it. And man was made in the “image and likeness” of God. (To borrow an expression from my son, Pastor Christopher Morgan, we were made with the DNA of God i.e. with the “Divine Nature Attributes”.)
As the Biblical narrative goes, we were placed in an idyllic Garden with all that was needed for our wellbeing, and all that was required to ensure our stewardship in the governmental development of the environment.
MAN GOING IT ALONE But something went wrong. Man was deceived into believing that he could go it alone without God. He knew that he had in him the very nature of God and possessed much of the ability of God. Indeed, He never lost the potential and the capacity to be visionary, creative and purposeful. Unfortunately, he assumed himself to be a god, pursuing all his goals for his own sake and toward his own end. The rest is history!
Everything that man creates, initiates, produces and organizes looks like a marvel and a great wonder. Indeed, “There is a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.” So the narrative records, “Every imagination of the heart of man is evil continually.” This is true in man’s domestic life, his social communities, his townships, cities and nations.
History has left behind the artifacts of Empires, Kingdoms and Civilizations which have become empty and fully depleted. Man made in the “image and likeness of God” has become a self-deceived, disoriented, disillusioned, despairing and self-destructive creature.
REDEMPTION & RESTORATION But God made provision for man’s redemption from sin and reconciliation with the FatherCreator. He would be restored to fulfil his stewardship role over creation and mandated to govern nations but only within the will and purpose of God.
THE MANDATE OF THE EKKLESIA COMMUNITY It is in this context and for this purpose that the Church was established, or more precisely, the “Ekklesia” community. To them was given “the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven”. This was a judicial and governmental authority entrusted to God’s “New Creation” saints. They are now possessed by the indwelling Spirit and Nature of Christ to steward the earth as in the beginning. Jesus stated it emphatically:
“Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matt.16:18)
This mandate was effectively initiated by Christ and left to be completed by His “Ekklesia”, as outlined in the prophetic promise recorded in Isaiah 61. Hence in the inauguration declaration of His ministry, He announced:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; and to declare the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Lk.4:18-19a)
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DDearest friends, I have been so busy that you haven’t seen my writings lately. I could not miss this opportunity to congratulate Homer, Angela and the SHARE Magazine team on doing this work for 10 years!
Where did the time go? This “baby” has somehow skipped the teenage years and grown into a full fledged “adult”.
As I listened to the Lord carefully this is what I would impart for the following years to come:
It Is Time To Respond To The Call We’ve heard this word spoken so eloquently at times and at others with fiery passion that stirred the fear of the Lord within us. We need to respond thus…
When we say we surrender all may we continue to live the Spirit led and Spirit filled life, no longer being led by the enemy’s hook of “how we feel” in the dimension of the soul realm. May our response be based purely on faith and the absolute love for God. We cannot any longer wait for circumstances to be just right. After all faith is taking a step beyond limitations and adversity. Faith will cause one to move against the current. Here is the biblical definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1-3 I will use the New Living Translation for these particular verses.
1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
What Is Our Faith Based On? The absolute assurance that God will do what he said he would do, and absolutely nothing is impossible for him to do. Yes Lord, we move out in Faith! Yet, there are still some who have done all that God requires and may be in the waiting season. Be encouraged, continue to wait. God is always on-time, He is never late. There will always be something that we need to wait in God’s presence about. These waiting seasons cause us to depend on God and keep us in the place of humility. Be assured He’s coming through for you and He will reward you in proportion to your waiting. Amen?
May these few words bless you and encourage you as you begin this new wonderful leg of the journey. Walk Good in Christ,’till we meet again! p
By Jacqueline Chin-Depass Founder of Walk Good in Christ Ministries, broadcaster UKCC radio
Jo-Ann Richards Goffe
It has been such an honour and a pleasure to be a part of the SHARE Magazine team as a writer! My first exposure to the magazine told me that here was a publication that was not dealing with surface matters. The SelectArrow team is committed to meeting people where they are and dealing with the deep issues of spirit and life.
Congratulations on your first 10 years, and we look forward to the next 10 years. Onwards and upwards as you strive to complete the mission God has placed before you!
Jo-Ann Richards Goffe Executive Director CREW 40:4 Kingston, Jamaica. cultures can relate.
Lisa Wilson
I think SHARE Magazine has been like an oasis in the desert. It has that rare combination of being edgy, relevant and Christian. It is easily shareable and really addresses real world issues to which people across different generations and
I value the work because it’s writers and editors/producers are not afraid to boldly tackle matters of life that the Church, that us as Christians sometimes publicly avoid or are often silent on. A plus too, is that it aims to do so in creative ways, which makes the magazine engaging. SHARE Magazine is a vision, SHARE is on a mission, SHARE is about transformation. May the work continue to be water in dry and weary lands. Soli Deo Gloria!
Lisa Wilson, South Africa
Tributes
Maureen Hanson
Ten years, what a celebration! I write to congratulate the Founders and Senior Editors, Homer and Angela Slack of SHARE Magazine on achieving ten years in the production of a magazine relevant to our time.
Receiving a copy of SHARE Magazine and digging into its depth one’s vision increased and one’s faith grew exponentially with the level of teaching deeply embedded in scripture. One couldn’t but be impressed at Homer and Angela’s dedication to the vision, never wavering in the volume of production and the back breaking effort to meet each deadline.
Thank you both for sharing your vision through the printed word, a moment that has suddenly become ten years of related topics, life, and blessing. From a grateful recipient of the joy of SHARE Magazine.
Maureen Hanson, Retired Pastor, Grimsby Town, UK
David Ferguson
There are times that you can recognize the ethos of a group or community of people based on their passion and focus. SHARE Magazine has always pursued the place of being on the pulse of what people (normally but not limited to the youth) are challenged with. They have always sought to bring godly solutions to those challenges.
Congratulations SHARE Magazine on being a consistent and relevant voice for the last 10 years. May you continue to be successful in your pursuit of godliness and help to mentor and raise up more persons to carry the torch that God lit through you.
Yours in His Service, Pastor David Ferguson Reconciliation Church Community Florida, USA.
