As a Born-Again Believer, living a life free from fear is our responsibility and our right. The Bible tells us repeatedly to “Fear Not.” Accomplishing this fear-free lifestyle is done by continuing to act of the Word of God.

Scripture Reference: John 8:31

As Christians, we have been delegated responsibility and authority. Our authority is God-given and gives us the ability to tap into God’s power.

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 45:11

TTWWADI is an acronym that I was first introduced to at an educational conference. Dr. Ian Jukes spoke to educators and challenged them to recreate their mindsets about teaching children. The acronym stands for That’s The Way We’ve Always Done It. This is something that the Church as a whole must be cognisant of if and when they plan outreaches and minister to those that God tells them to. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica:

2 Thessalonians 2:15 (King James Version)
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Interestingly, many people look at that word traditions and immediately think that Church is supposed to be conducted the way it was when Jesus was ministering to the Jews 2000 years ago. Fortunately, most Ministers of the Gospel do not ride in on a donkey. We tend to use cars, trucks, buses and aircraft because we can get to more places in the world in a more timely manner.

That word “traditions” is translated from the Greek as follows:

G3862 παράδοσις paradosis par-ad’-os-is From G3860; transmission, that is, (concretely) a precept; specifically the Jewish traditionary law: – ordinance, tradition.

Oddly enough, Paul was referring to the precepts that he was teaching us. God’s Principle’s are timeless, but how we live them out so that we can win the lost will change. Case in point, we do use updated modes of travel. Many Ministries and Churches have websites, twitter, podcast, broadcast and more to reach the lost.

I challenge you today. How can you win someone to Christ by doing something just a bit different?

Joseph was rewarded by Pharoah because he executed his duties so well. In fact, the rewards you gain often have “extra benefits.”

Genesis 47:1-12 NLT
(1) Then Joseph went to see Pharaoh and told him, “My father and my brothers have arrived from the land of Canaan. They have come with all their flocks and herds and possessions, and they are now in the region of Goshen.”
(2) Joseph took five of his brothers with him and presented them to Pharaoh.
(3) And Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” They replied, “We, your servants, are shepherds, just like our ancestors.
(4) We have come to live here in Egypt for a while, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine is very severe there. So please, we request permission to live in the region of Goshen.”
(5) Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have joined you here,
(6) choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too.”
(7) Then Joseph brought in his father, Jacob, and presented him to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
(8) “How old are you?” Pharaoh asked him.
(9) Jacob replied, “I have traveled this earth for 130 hard years. But my life has been short compared to the lives of my ancestors.”
(10) Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before leaving his court.
(11) So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the region of Rameses—to his father and his brothers, and he settled them there, just as Pharaoh had commanded.
(12) And Joseph provided food for his father and his brothers in amounts appropriate to the number of their dependents, including the smallest children.

David gains a kingdom because he took responsibility for his actions. David kills Goliath. He serves Saul with all his might, but Saul’s jealousy causes David to flee for his life. Despite this, David continues to defend Israel from the Philistines. And, David would not kill Saul despite the fact he was presented with many opportunites act. Not acting as everyone was advising him to, David opted to follow the Word of God.

Jesus shows us the greastest act of responsibility – dying to bring about the redemption of humanity to God.

Matthew 26:36-46 NLT
(36) Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and He said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.”
(37) He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and He became anguished and distressed.
(38) He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”
(39) He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.”
(40) Then He returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with Me even one hour?
(41) Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
(42) Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
(43) When He returned to them again, He found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
(44) So He went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.
(45) Then He came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
(46) Up, let’s be going. Look, My betrayer is here!”

How valuable are you to God, that He would come down to earth and give His Life for you. Despite our sin and our choices in life that are contrary to the Word of God, He took responsibility for us. He sacrificed Himself so that we could make the ultimate choice: Salvation. In that choice, Jesus also calls us to go out into the world to teach and preach the Word so that others have the opportunity not only to make this choice, but also to learn about God and His Word. It is a responsibility that every Christian has and I can tell you from experience that it produces great rewards.

In our last post, we talked briefly about accepting the additional responsibility that comes with increase. Look at the life of Joseph:

In Potiphar’s house he learned what it took to run an Egyptian household. In Prision, Joseph learned new systems on how to distribute food to the masses. As Prime Minister, Joseph was so effective that not only was Egypt saved, but the Pharoah held absolute power in Egypt because all the landowners had signed their lands over to the Crown.

Genesis 47:14-26 NLT
(14) By selling grain to the people, Joseph eventually collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan, and he put the money in Pharaoh’s treasury.
(15) When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Our money is gone!” they cried. “But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!”
(16) Joseph replied, “Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.”
(17) So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year.
(18) But that year ended, and the next year they came again and said, “We cannot hide the truth from you, my lord. Our money is gone, and all our livestock and cattle are yours. We have nothing left to give but our bodies and our land.
(19) Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate.”
(20) So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe, and soon all the land belonged to Pharaoh.
(21) As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other.
(22) The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn’t need to sell their land.
(23) Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields.
(24) Then when you harvest it, one-fifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining four-fifths as seed for your fields and as food for you, your households, and your little ones.”
(25) “You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.”
(26) Joseph then issued a decree still in effect in the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on his land. Only the land belonging to the priests was not given to Pharaoh.

David’s responsibility increased. David was a shepherd out on the back 40 minding the sheep. The man of God arrives on the scene and annoint David to be the next King. David fights Goliath and wins.
Saul becomes jealous and attempts to kill David. David then has his family and the first 400 of his mighty men join him. He rules over Judah and Benjamin for 7 years. David then rules over Israel for 33 years. When you are the King, you are the authority. David came a long way from the pasture to the palace.

Jesus’ responsibility increased. Jesus first deals with himself.

Matthew 4:1-11 NLT
(1) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
(2) For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry.
(3) During that time the devil came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
(4) But Jesus told Him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
(5) Then the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,
(6) and said, “If You are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order His angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
(7) Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’”
(8) Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
(9) “I will give it all to You,” he said, “if You will kneel down and worship me.”
(10) “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only Him.’”
(11) Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Then Jesus began preaching the Gospel (Good News). Jesus produced disciples and out of those disciples he appointed the 12. Then there were the masses of people that sought Jesus because of what He taught. If that was not enough, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Increase is not to be avoided. It is a part of the maturing process. When Jesus comes back, he is coming back for believers that actually believe and do what His Word says to do.