“Lord Jesus, we offer ourselves to You. Please enable us to be conscious always that You are our Treasure and You are working through us mightily. All that is needed is for us to be available in Your loving hands. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
Act 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
As His church, we must continue to support people, practically, which will surely include our financial giving.
When we read this text, where Peter says, “Silver and gold I do not have…” we must not go away with this idea that Christian ministry is purely spiritual in nature. We must ensure that our engagement with people is holistic.
Nevertheless, we bring people to Jesus for He is our habitat so that people will have the fullness of life. II Corinthians 4:5-7 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. (6) For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
The God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts. The light of God, in our hearts, is Jesus. He is our treasure, whom we share with the world.
Jesus is the Rose of Sharon, He is the Lily of the valleys, He is the bright and Morning Star. He is all of these to us. Our relationship with Him is an intimate love relationship. Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love.
Now that we have come to Jesus, He must be the Lord of our lives. There can be no more room for our ‘self’. The self in us must be crucified with Christ. Christ must live in us. This is His love for us. He not only died for us, He desires to live from within us. Therefore, let us not foolishly deny this enormous inheritance of Jesus living in us.
II Corinthians 4:10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
This is the secret of the Christian life. We constantly die with Christ so that the life of Christ be revealed from within us.
As Jesus lives in us, we become the bridge and patterns over which people cross to have eternal life. We must realise that when we enter into this relationship with Jesus, we are inseparably tied to Him. People encountering us will encounter Jesus in us.
I Timothy 1:15-16 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (16) However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
Even though Paul affirms that he is the chief of sinners, he is elated that Jesus is making him a pattern for others to enter eternal life. This is brought about by Jesus working on Paul, patiently.
In Christ are hidden all treasures. It is Christ whom we make known to the world. Colossians 2:2b-3 … attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, (3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Matthew chapter 13 contains several parables of His kingdom that Jesus taught His disciples. This was the conversation that followed His teachings. Matthew 13:51-52 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” (52) Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
When we understand and apply His kingdom to our lives, our lives will be a treasure house that constantly brings out treasures of the kingdom of God, which will bless others.
Christ in us is the hope for the world. Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Jesus is our treasure. It is Him that we share with the world.
Peter and John were intensely conscious of Jesus, their Treasure, who was working mightily in them. Apostle Paul tells us Jesus was working mightily through him. Colossians 1:29 To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Will we open ourselves to Jesus and be carried by Him, for He is our Treasure, whom we share with people around us?