The will of God through His Word is for you to have a manual to live by and apply in your day-to-day endeavours. God’s desire for you through His Word is that you will emerge to become all that He has destined for you to be. Thus, your approach towards the Word of God is to take delivery of something you will do or practise. Position yourself constantly to take delivery of life applicable thoughts and messages that you will live by. There is a call, an assignment and a divine deposit in every child of God that ought to be expressed, and the Word of God is the mirror that reflects who you are and what you have in order for you to take action consistent with His Word. Take responsibility to become the full expression of the investment of God in your life. This task is not a walk in the park and that is why I would like to shed light on the implications of God’s call and assignment on your life so that you will not be deterred in spite of what comes your way.
Mark 10:35-38 KJV
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
The Cup and the Baptism
James and John wanted Jesus to make a commitment that would grant their desire to sit by him in his glory. This was a strategic request that transcends time into eternity; they sought for everlasting relevance. Jesus’ response is intriguing because these men must have thought hard on their request. He said, “You don’t know what you are asking for.” Would this response apply to you today? Perhaps, you are demanding or aspiring for something legitimate but haven’t factored in a lot of things. He continues, “…can you drink of the cup that I drink of?” This means that there are things you are asking for or demanding that would require you to drink your way there. In other words, are you willing to share in the drinking and the baptism in order to share in the positioning? Whatever you are asking for is a drink and a baptism away. The implication of this is that you must factor in the process and demands of your calling and assignment. You will be dipped into certain demanding situations before you will emerge. I would like you to make an evaluation of your life and see that the process is as important as the outcome. There is a cup and a baptism for your assignment, and when you sit down to count the cost, you are placed to win.
Fire Baptism
The gospel of salvation is faith in Christ Jesus without works by which you become born again. Moreover, the gospel of salvation is your admission into the kingdom of God which is the domain of God’s reign and dominion. The kingdom of God is the office from which you rule and reign as a child of God. Just as you would have to be a Ghanaian citizen to be the president of Ghana, you would have to be born again to rule in and from the kingdom of God. When you assume offices, there are challenges that go with it and ruling in and from the kingdom of God is not an exemption – you will go through heat, fire and persecution. Knowing who you are in Christ is not an end in itself, but it positions you to overcome encumbrances that come your way and to behave yourself wisely irrespective of the resistance you will be confronted with. This awareness will establish you in faith and deliver the requisite composure to stand the shame, mockery, scourges and obstacles commensurate with the assignment to be executed.
The lack of awareness of the cup and the baptism associated with your assignment and aspirations can make you chicken out, quit or throw in the towel. On the other hand, your appreciation and anticipation of it makes you steadfast in faith, relentless and fearless through the acknowledgement of who you are and what you possess. This state of mind is that which will cause you to walk in love and not to be edgy or easily provoked amidst turbulent times. I trust that this would transmit to you a presence of mind to handle and manage yourself in the heat of the moment and to emerge as the overcomer that you are.
Take courage
Rule and Subdue!