A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Friday, February
8, 2019
No matter the
season, whether clouds or sun, Silverstone always captures
our attention and we can't resist yet another current photo.
(Click
on photo to enlarge)
"Complete The
Ministry!"
Message
summary:
"See to it that you
complete the ministry
you have received in the
Lord."
Listen to our
message on your audio
player.
"Tell
Archippus: 'See to it
that you complete the
ministry you have
received in the Lord'"
(Colossians 4:17).
Yesterday
we had breakfast with
some new friends, Don
and Tabitha Nguyen. Don
was born in Vietnam and
left when he was 13
years old in 1978 on a
fishing boat along with
his older sister to Hong
Kong. There he spent
three years in a refugee
camp prior to relocating
to Canada where he met
his future wife. They
both have amazing
stories we hope to share
in a future message.
Don is a
physician who practiced
medicine here in
Lancaster for ten years.
For the last ten years
they have served as missionaries
to Vietnamese who live
in Cambodia. But they
have temporarily
suspended this aspect of
their ministry for a season
as they have returned to
Lancaster to care for
Don's aging parents. Don
is able to resume work
as a physician during
this period.
But they
certainly are not off
the mission field!
They both express a
vibrant faith and desire
to share the message of
Christ wherever they
are, whatever they do.
Yesterday, after getting
more acquainted during
breakfast, they joined
us for a visit in a
company that has quite a
number of Vietnamese
employees.
It was
heartening to observe
the joy on the
Vietnamese faces while
Don and Tabitha
communicated with them
in their own language
and showed personal
interest in them.
Although in our
chaplaincy service we
seek to reach all
language groups by
expressions of care,
it's not nearly as
effective as
communicating verbally
in one's native
language.
Don and
Tabitha have a ministry
they have received from
the Lord. They may have
temporarily suspended
their work in Cambodia
but they are seeking to
fulfill the ministry God
has called them to no
matter their location.
Earlier this
week we had two messages
about Epaphras who was
from Colossae and from
whom we could observe
several teachable
characteristics. Paul
typically mentions names
at the end of his
letters, most of whom we
know little about. In
fact in this chapter of
Colossians we read that
Luke was a doctor (v.14).
The last name
mentioned in Colossians
is Archippus who
apparently lived in
Colossae. Paul
instructed the Colossian
believers, in this final
portion of the letter,
to "Tell
Archippus: 'See to it
that you complete the
ministry you have
received in the
Lord.'"
No other
biographical information
is
provided concerning
Archippus
but this somber
challenge, which we all
do well to heed
regardless of the manner
in which we serve the
Lord. "See to it
that you complete
the ministry you
have received in the
Lord."
I find it
helpful to change the
challenge slightly to
make it personal as an
expression of my
personal resolve. "I
will complete the
ministry I have
received in the
Lord."
Friends, when
God appoints us to
ministry our appointment
is not over until we
draw our final breath
and step on heaven's
shore. Let us be
faithful to His calling
in our lives till He
calls us home.
Be encouraged
today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber *
Demas is also
mentioned in
the final part
of Colossians:
"Our dear
friend Luke,
the doctor,
and Demas send
greetings".
Later we have
these sad
words: "Demas,
because he
loves this
world has
deserted me"
* (2 Timothy
4:10).
Another
reference to
Archippus is
here: "Paul,
a prisoner of
Christ Jesus,
and Timothy
our brother,
to Philemon
our dear
friend and
fellow
worker—also to
Apphia our
sister and
Archippus our
fellow
soldier—and to
the church
that meets in
your home"
(Philemon
1:1,2).
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
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