THE Bible is the only and final authority on matters it talks about.
You may have read this in the tenets, creed or constitution of your ministry or denomination.
The Bible has to be interpreted according to its instructions.
The Gospel of Christ has an emphasis or bias for lack of better word.
We make noise where the Bible makes noise and we’re silent where it’s silent.
As diligent and sincere students, we don’t major on minors.
In this introductory piece in this new series, we are going to open up with the aid of examples to trigger genuine and truthful study of the Bible.
This will be something difficult to some of you to fathom.
- Grace tidings: Do you understand what it means to be holy?
- Witness will testify that Kelly Khumalo shot Senzo Meyiwa by mistake – defence lawyer
- Grace Tidings: The grace of God and His unconditional love
- Re-imagining the Workplace: The psychology of visions and missions
Keep Reading
My teaching remains that be open minded, one day you will grow up to it and it won’t be heresy as some may think.
We shall hold on to Galatians 1:6-7, “[6] I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: [7] Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”
There’s the true Gospel of Christ and a perversion. Apostle Paul calls the Gospel of Christ here, the Grace of Christ.
There’s therefore need to understand what the Gospel of Christ is.
Some look at the Bible and see the following labels, The Gospel According To Saint Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
An immediate and naive interpretation could be, let’s stick to the words of Jesus’ earthly ministry or the so called red letters.
However we know that the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation is the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Jesus tells us in John 5:39, Amplified, “You search and keep on searching and examining the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is those [very Scriptures] that testify about Me;” We see Jesus throughout the whole Bible.
There’s a candid warning to the teaching of the Gospel of Christ in Galatians 1:8-9, “[8] But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
We shall look at what he preached in the coming weeks.
Not everything that comes off the pulpit is the Gospel of Christ.
The late Dr Myles Munroe said, “When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable.”
The purpose of the church pulpit is for the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
Church gatherings are so often abused.
To a politician, it’s good platform for a campaign rally while to a genuine and sincere preacher, it’s harvest of souls for Jesus and to teach His Gospel.
In this column I once said that if I ask you to prepare a sermon for the rich and you prepare a message like 10 Business Lessons from Elon Musk to become the richest person on earth and as we navigate to the auditorium, you’re faced by an audience of prisoners on death row and your message becomes totally irrelevant, it was almost 100 percent not the Gospel of Christ.
The simple measuring line is; does what you preach minister to the rich, poor, widows and widowers, singles and the married and indeed everyone?
I can add to the example above and ask if you can declare and decree that I see your mansion, top of the range cars and jets coming?
I like how Jesus speaks through John in the book of Revelation.
For example Revelation 2:7 says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
Please hear me and hear me clearly.
- All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
Let me use examples from Zimbabwe especially to you in cities and towns.
Can your sermons be preached in Checheche in Manicaland, Chachacha in Midlands, Chitekete in Gokwe, Gachekache in Kariba, Kazozo in Manicaland, Mangwe in Matebeleland South or Kazungula in Matebeleland North?
Make an introspection; if your ministry or denomination transfers you to anywhere in the world, will you suddenly have no message? Selah!
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
- All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
- Fellowship with Pastor Makarimayi on Facebook and on www.twitter.com/PEMAKARIMAYI.
