A Crucified Life - - Is An Ambassador For Christ

 

2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4243

Ambassador: to be the elder, to take precedence

From the Greek word 'presbeuó' (pronounced pres-byoo'-o): a trusted, respected ambassador who is authorized to speak as God's emissary (represent His kingdom).

Used twice in the New Testament; both times by Paul, as here in the letter written to the church in Corinth. The second time was in a letter to the church in Ephesus: Ephesians 6:20 "For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should."

    2 Corinthians 3:6 says God has made His ministers fit, qualified, to speak the gospel, "He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life."

    In the Old Testament God's authorized emissaries were His priests and His prophets, His messengers. While this verse in Malachi is a warning to God's priests, it also serves as a reminder to us of who the messenger is representing and speaking for.

>Malachi 2:7 "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts."

    As an ambassador for Christ, this messenger can only speak what the Spirit speaks to her, to me. I never know until the morning of what the message is going to be. I usually am given the primary Scripture(s) a few days in advance, but not what the Spirit speaks. 

    It's called Daily Bread for a reason. Just enough at the beginning of the day to get us through that day. Though we hunger for more, we are given enough in each day to feed our souls and our hearts. And what we are given we are prompted to share with others, that they (you), too, would receive a blessing from God in the Word. 

    May you receive such a blessing. 

    As an ambassador for Christ, my life must mirror His. Daily I am given not only a Word for myself and others, but I must take up my cross. I must surrender what I want and desire each day to what God wants and desires for me. I must bring my body into submission to His Word. The stronger our relationship in Christ with God the greater our desire to see God's desire fulfilled. And the less we have any inclination to give into life's little temptations. Oh Lord, let this my prayer be: draw me closer. 

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Arming The Spiritual Warrior -- Ambassador of Reconciliation

 Ephesians 6:15

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2091

Preparation: prompt willingness, cheerful readiness; firm footing, foundation

*No. 4243

Ambassador: means to act as an established statesman (diplomat) – a trusted, respected ambassador who is authorized to speak as God's emissary (represent His kingdom)

 

Ambassadors For God

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”

1 Samuel 3:10

Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

Ambassadors For Christ

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

An ambassadorship is not granted to just anyone. It is impossible to testify of God's amazing grace unless it is first applied to our own iniquities. We must first recognize that in the holy presence of God we are an unclean, unholy, people. Isaiah met God and knew immediately that he himself was not worthy to be in God's presence, for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a holy God and His very presence, His name, demands a holy people. 

Isaiah needed to be prepared to preach the Word which God would give him; fire from God's heavenly altar touched Isaiah's mouth, making it possible for him to speak God's Word. 

We, the Spiritual Warriors, are today's Ambassadors of Reconciliation, just as the first century Christians were, just as every generation of righteous believers have been since that time. We are called to follow Christ every step of the way, even to death, if such a calling is on our lives. 

Ambassadors Are Prepared To Testify & To Suffer

Preparation

Isaiah 6:5-7

Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”

Suffering

Philippians 1:20

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

1 Peter 4:19

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

1 Peter 3:15-17

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 

As Ambassadors of Reconciliation we must first be reconciled to God ourselves. 

Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool."

Isaiah 43:25

I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.

Romans 10:8-10

(8) But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

(9) that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

(10) For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

*No. 2643

Reconciliation:  reconciliation (restoration) as the resulting of Christ exactly (precisely) exchanging His righteousness (blood) for our guilt

It is only through the blood shed by Jesus Christ on the cross that we can be reconciled to God: there's no other way, no other name.

The Way

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

The Name

Matthew 1:21

And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.

Acts 4:12

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Dear Lord,

Thank You for saving me, for dying on the cross to save me from the punishment of my sins. Thank You for reconciling me to You. I pray, Lord, that You would strengthen me with Your Strength and make me worthy in Your sight. Thank You for this new life I have in You. Mold me into the Christian You want me to be. I surrender my life, my breath, my all to You. You are everything to me. May my life shine Your light into the darkness around me, that Your name would be glorified. Speak to my heart, Lord, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness that I might be found a 'good and faithful servant' in Your sight. 

In Jesus' name, I pray,

Amen. 

Take My Life

This Love Prays For You

    

      Whether the leaders of your country are Christians or not, you and I are to pray for those in authority over us, even if we did not choose them to be our leaders. 

     It is God who sets up kings and rulers. And it is God who commands His people to pray for them. But what specifically should we pray about? 1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us that first of all we are to pray for each other. We are to intercede with God on each other's behalf. You pray for me. I pray for you. We are to give thanks to God for each other; for 'all men'. This is God's will for us when we pray.
     We pray for our leaders, for they who are in authority places. Why? 1 Timothy 2:2 "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty". So, if the life we are living in our countries is not peaceable and quiet, and we are not living our lives in godliness and honesty, it is because we are not praying to God for leaders and rulers. It is because of the negligence in our individual responsibility to God that chaos is in our nations. Ignoring God will only bring retribution from God, for God's wrath is for those who disobey His Word and refuse to repent of their wicked ways.
     What are wicked ways? Sin is deliberately, knowingly disobeying God. Wicked ways are rebellion against God's Word and God's Way and God's Will. When you insist on doing what you want to do and refuse to do what God wants you to do, you are sinning against God. God has said in His Word what it means to obey Him and the rewards for those who do. But also He has given to us what it means to disobey Him and the punishment for those who disobey. 

     A hardened heart is one that refuses to listen and obey to God's Word. Yet, God is merciful and His lovingkindness extends to 'a thousand generations'. He shows mercy to those who seek His mercy. He offers salvation to those who desire to be blessed with His salvation. A hardened heart turns his or her back on God and walks according to their own way and will, instead of surrendering their hearts to God's way and God's will. 

See, in 1 Timothy 2:4, we are reminded what God's will is: FOR ALL TO BE SAVED. FOR ALL TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. Who can save us? Jesus Christ. John 3:16 and 17 " For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever (you and I) believes on Him, should not perish but have ever lasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
     God's will is for all to be saved. But how will the wicked know the salvation of The Lord God unless God's people pray and intercede on their behalf? How will they hear unless God's people go and preach the gospel? How will you believe unless you are given the opportunity to know this Jesus?
I am one of God's people. And you are being prayed for. You are being given the opportunity of a lifetime and beyond. You are loved. And it is this love that desires to see you saved with the grace of God through Jesus Christ. It is this love of God that sent Jesus to die on the cross. It is this love of God that rolled away the stone from the grave with such force that it scared they who watched over that grave. It is this love that brought salvation to us. It is this love, this love, that brings us to our knees in prayer: praying for each other and for our nations to be healed. 

Brought Down and Fallen

Psalm 20:6-8

Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed; 

He will hear him from His holy heaven

With the saving strength of His right hand.

Some trust in chariots,

and some in horses: 

But we will remember the name

of the Lord our God.

They are brought down 

and fallen: but we

Are risen and stand upright.

"Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit",saith the Lord. (Zechariah 4:6) We are on all sides attacked. On the eastern borders of our kingdom is out and out hatred for the God we serve and represent. Perhaps we have done a poor example of representation. No, no perhaps about it. We have failed in our ambassadorial positions. Wolves in sheep's clothing claiming to be Christians and followers of Christ have been mistaken for actual ambassadors.

We have done nothing to stop this infiltration, but sleep in our pews and slumber in our beds. Where is the Warrior-Bride whom Christ is returning for? She is no sleeping beauty to be awakened by love's kiss! We need to be on our knees seeking God's face! Seeking His forgiveness for our laziness, our carelessness, our disobedience. Our slack has caused our downfall.

O God, forgive us our trespasses as we forgives those who trespass against us. We have not sought our daily Bread, nor thirsted for Living Water. We have settled for dung heaps and putrid water. Make us over, Lord; wash us clean; seize our hearts and our minds and fill us completely with Yourself. Use us to the advancement of Your kingdom. Breathe not only in us, but through us into another. And another. And another................

Psalm 18:3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies. v 6,7 .. my cry came before Him, even into His holy ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was wroth. v32 It is God that girds me with strength. v34 He teaches my hands to war. v35 Thy right hand has held me up. v37 I have pursued and overtaken my enemies.

 It is God who strengthens in times of battle, in times of war. It is God who saves from certain destruction. It is God who teaches us to fight, to overcome. In the presence of my enemies, it is God who saves me. It is God who loves me and gives me His heart's desire. It is God. And none other. 

Rise up Church!