Working together in a team.

The vision of CTMI is to bring the church back to the simple and true gospel of the Cross of Jesus Christ which has the power to break the independence and pride of man and every barrier of religion, race or color and denomination. We need to understand that the church is not an organization. In heaven there will be no denominations, colour of skin or any other natural barrier, only those who have lived according to the truth of the gospel. “With the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” Rev 14:6

Paul refers to the Christians as belonging to a body, one body – the church. Each member has a specific function and task whether it is great or small. We have been called to work together. “But now indeed many are the members, yet only one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” 1Cor 12:20-21

Team work is plural

When reading the epistles of Paul and looking at the early church described in the book of Acts we can conclude that the strength of the church was unity. It existed among the leadership of the churches and no one worked independently.

To quote David Pawson who said that, in the New testament the apostle planted a church, made sure that it was firmly rooted and handed it on to the overseers/elders and deacons. The key thing is that all these ministries were always plural. There is no such thing as a one man ministry in the New Testament. There was a team of apostles, a team of elders, and a team of deacons. In those days they had many bishops to one church and not many churches to one bishop.

My Character for His

C.S. Lewis - “Christ says I don’t want some of your time and money, I want you. I’ve not come to torment your natural self but to kill it”

C.S Lewis knew that to be more like Christ is to be less and less like myself, me. Often, when God starts to deal with our lives He begins to deal with our carnal nature – self. He touches the very core of our being. Our habits, our character… Me!

God wants all of us.He wants us to be able to put to death all ‘me’ and ‘self’ so that a new person in Christ could be resurrected. this is the only way that we will be able to resemble Christ. This new man in us is in its very essence – Christ. The cross allows us to trade my character for the character of Christ. This is what John said, let me decrease so that Christ can increase. this is the message of the gospel.

Job understood.

The modern day church is powerless and different in many ways to the early church. I think it is because the message of the cross that “is the power of God!”1 Corn 1:18 has been forgotten.

When Job’s wife told him to “Curse God and die” Job preached the same message that the cross would bring! He said to her “You speak as one of the foolish ones speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive adversity? Job 2:10

The first chapter of Job describes him as an upright man, blameless and one who feared God, yet, despite his honorable character, God still allowed him to experience hardship and suffering. We should never be lead to believe or think that because we are Christians that we will not have to experience difficult situations in life, Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

When we search the scriptures we will discover that trials are in fact part of our Christian life and play a major role in bringing us to become more like Jesus and grow in maturity. Philippians 1:9

When we are faced with certain trials in life God searches from us a heart attitude that wont panic and lose sight of His plan. When we realize the grace available to us and what the Lord is able to do in our lives through these times of hardship we will be ready to face anything and embrace any situation with faith in our hearts weather in our health, family or finance knowing that the Lord, “works alls thing together for good to those who love Him.” Rom 8:28