The believer’s duty to christ – Part 2

The Lord Jesus Christ has given the great commission to both men and women; hence, we are to revive the passion. Women should be actively involved in proclaiming the gospel. Women were involved in the delivering of the message of Christ’s resurrection.

Some people, in their lack of understanding of the scriptures, think Jesus referred only to the 11 apostles when He promised that “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” He was actually referring to all the men and women that saw Him after His resurrection, especially the 120. The scripture makes it clear that “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Also, Apostle Peter’s expression of their experience at Pentecost points to “that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…” The purpose of receiving the Holy Ghost and the duty of everyone in the church of the Living God is to preach the word; tell sinners about Jesus Christ. The women are not excluded; they too should be passionate about evangelism. Rahab gave the message of salvation and deliverance to her household, which saved them from doom. When the Samaritan woman also proclaimed Jesus Christ and all He did, “many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.” Regardless of our gender, we should be passionate about the Great Commission.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy… your young men shall see visions.” When the prophecy of the baptism in the Holy Ghost was first mentioned, it was not only for the elderly; the young were also included. To raise a Bible-believing church, our assemblies need young men and women, and children who are saved, sanctified and empowered for soul-winning in the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. Like the adults, they can also receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” As our youths become purposeful and passionate about preaching, they will be “as plants grown up in their youth … (and) corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.” They will lead meaningful lives.

The Lord wants us to raise young people who will have the burden of bringing precious souls to Him. Our young boys and girls can work for the Lord by presenting the gospel to the people they meet in order to bring them into the God’s kingdom. We must not leave our children to their studies and trading only. We should let them also take part in the proclamation of the gospel.

God uses young people for His work. The testimony of the little maid made Naaman, a Syrian Army General, to go to Prophet Elisha where he was cured of his leprosy. The Lord called Jeremiah, while he was a very young child. Timothy was also a product of faith passed from his grandmother to his mother and eventually to him. If people in Bible days could train their children to love the Lord, know the scriptures and present it to others, we must do the same in this contemporary time. By so doing, the Lord will honour our effort and our children will be passionate about preaching the gospel.

• Further reading (King James Version): John 1:40-42; 1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 2:9,10; Luke 14:22,23. Ezekiel 3:17-21; James 5:19, 20; Luke 19:6-10, 13; 24:45-47; Acts 8:4; 26:16-19. Matthew 28:1, 5-8; Acts 1:4, 5, 8, 14; 2:1-4, 16-18; Joshua 2:18, 19; 6:9, 10, 22-24; John 4:9, 28-30, 39; Acts 8:3, 4; 17:2-4. Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:16-18, 38, 39; Psalms 144:12; 71:5, 17; Exodus 2:2-10; 2 Kings 5:1-4; Jeremiah 1:6-9; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14, 15; Proverbs 22:6.