The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 6 March 2020 – TOPIC: IN HIS STEPS

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TOPIC: IN HIS STEPS

READ: LUKE 9:10-17 (NKJV)10. And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.11. But when the multitudes knew [it,] they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.12. When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”13. But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.”14. For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”15. And they did so, and made them all sit down.16. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke [them,] and gave [them] to the disciples to set before the multitude.17. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.*THE MESSAGE:*After the empowerment of the disciples and the receipt of the formula for mission in our text yesterday, the disciples went out for practice. After a while, they returned to Jesus to give account of their stewardship. Jesus went with them to Bethsaida to have some privacy but the people followed them. Jesus then practised the formula He had given them: Jesus first received the people and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God. He then healed those who had need of healing and finally fed the crowd with a miraculous provision.Jesus is our perfect example. We are to pattern our lives, ministries and missions in His way. The most important need of every man, according to Jesus’ approach, pattern and formula is salvation, which qualifies such a man as a partaker of God’s Kingdom. That is the qualification that gives us access to divine healing, miracle and providence. It is absurd to hold crusades for healing, miracles, material gains, etc., without first preaching the Kingdom of God to the people. Salvation must be topmost in our missions, meetings and ministrations. Please ponder on this: Is my ministry patterned like that of Christ? What amendments do I need to make immediately?*PRAYER:* Reset my approach to ministry in the manner of Christ’s, O God, I pray.