Epaggelia

Key Text: 2Thessalonians 1:8. 

Many people mistakenly think that making Jesus Lord of their life, is a great sacrifice and takes away from our enjoyment of this world. But the opposite is actually true. The Lordship of Christ over our lifestyle is the greatest blessing we can recieve in this world. It is good news to know that the God of Love rules and dictates our priorities and actions. Life in this world is hard for everyone in one way or another, the rain falls on the good and the evil, it’s not how the rain affects us that counts, but rather, what you do with it. When we do what Jesus would do with the rain of life, it’s a real blessing, because His Lordship (power) is applied in helpful healing (Christ). Read Rom. 15:19-32. It is good news to know what Jesus would have us do. If we can learn from this, we can truly know how GOOD it is to have Jesus Lord over our lifestyle. To call someone “Lord” doesn’t mean much today, as Festus called Agrippa “lord”, shows how the word is used flippantly in politics, Acts 25:26. But how is the word Lord used in your everyday speech?           

Jesus is Lord over terrestrial forces, he proved this first in the making of wine from water, Jn. 2:1-12. And in instantly creating loaves & fishes for over 9,000 people in different occasions, Jn. 6:1-4, Mk.8:1-10, and also for instantly withering the fig tree, he proved his sovereign judgment in nature, Mt.21:18-22. And over celestial forces, proving this when he walked on water, Mk. 6:45-52, Jn.6:15-21. And over our climate, he proved it when he stilled the storm & sea, Mk. 4:35-41, Mt. 8:23-25.  And over animals, showing instant control in riding the young colt of a donkey, never trained nor ridden on before, during the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Lk 19:28-40. And of the sabbath, fulfilling the old law of Moses with it’s prophecies and making null & void all of it’s commandments against us on the cross, Lk 6:1-5, Col. 2:14.  And over the demons, proving this when demons cried out for mercy in His presence, and He showed them none, Luke 8:26-39, 11:24. Jesus is also Lord over the human body, the most complicated and amazing of His creations, He proves this in the many marvellous healings of human weaknesses and deformities in His miracles, Mat. 4:24 & Jn. 21:25.

            Is Jesus truly Lord over you?  Here are 4 people who recognized Him as their Lord, how did it change their life?  Elizabeth expressed her faith in the Lordship of Jesus, when she greeted Mary as the mother of her Lord, Lk 1:43. Because of her faith, she raised John the Immersionist, giving the world a fulfilment to prophecy and one of the best examples of godly zeal. Mary of Magdalene wept for the body of her Lord, thinking it was stolen, Jn. 20:11-13. Because of her love for her Lord, she was strengthened by the Lord himself and given the privilege of  being the first witness of his resurrection.   Remember 2Tim. 4:8. Paul the Apostle knew that to call Jesus his Lord meant sacrifice, Php. 3:8.  Thomas the Apostle knew Jesus as The Lord and expressed his personal and public dedication to Him as offering his own life, Jn. 11:15-16, but The Lord Jesus was not truly his own Lord, until he saw Jesus resurrected, THEN, Thomas said, “My Lord, My God”, Jn. 20:28.  Secular history records Thomas as a lifelong faithful apostle and left this earth as a martyr for his Lord.  We do not have our hand in the hand of Christ physically here on earth now, but we do have the mind of Christ in His word, 1Cor. 2:16, and the Spirit of Christ in our heart, Rom. 8:9.  If you are looking when both His word and his Spirit is displayed, you can see His Lordship, Eph. 1:18.