[Faith-talk] FW: [masterslist] The Mark of the Bondservant

Tue May 17 16:55:12 UTC 2011

Original Message: 
From: "Dean Masters" <dwmasters at earthlink.net>
To: "masters list" <masterslist at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [masterslist] The Mark of the Bondservant
Date: 
Tue, 17 May 2011 11:42:29 -0400

David Wilkerson Today

THE MARK OF THE BONDSERVANT

David, the psalmist, said, "Mine ear hast thou digged [pierced]" (see
Psalm
40:6). This may well be interpreted as meaning, "Thou hast accepted me as

thy
slave," an allusion to the custom of masters boring the ear of a slave
who
refused his offered freedom (see Exodus 21:6). In other words, "There is
a 
hole
in my ear that marks me for the Lord, for life and eternity." Have you 
allowed
the Holy Spirit to dig in your ear?

What marked the bondservant is that he pledged himself to give wholly of
his
time in service to his master. There is nothing mystical about this way
of
living. It begins with a commitment to give the Lord the best of our time

and
is worked out practically in everyday life!

This is not to suggest we should all quit our jobs and careers to enter
full-time ministry. Too many nowadays are getting out of God's will by
going
out presumptuously, leaving the responsibilities of raising a family and
pulling up roots to "go out by faith." The greater thing is to stay put
and
give the Lord more quality time where you are. It is a matter of putting 
Christ
at the center of everything, so that family, job, and all things revolve 
around
him. Christ becomes the focus of our thoughts and we spend time in his 
presence,
hearing his voice, obeying his commands.

The bondservant is more a giving rather than a taking soul. With Paul, he

can
say, "I have determined to know nothing among us save Christ and him
crucified." This servant is not interested in serving for reward or
personal
gain. His wages are the glory and honor he bestows on his Master. The
true
bondservant who is committed to lifelong service is marked by the Lord in

some
special way. You can't miss this servant because he bears in his body the

marks
of his Master.

What marks the bondservant in this day and age? It is clearly revealed in

the
Word as the mark of a broken, contrite spirit that weeps over the 
abominations
done against his Lord. Our Master does not drill the ear with an awl, but
breaks the heart with his hammer.

"And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's
inkhorn 
by
his side; and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, 
through
the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that

sigh
and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof"
(Ezekiel 9:3-4).

Another mark on this bondservant is a circumcision made without hands.
This
speaks of total separation from the world and unto Christ. It means that
all
self-made plans, schemes, and dreams are abandoned, and the concerns and
burdens of the Lord become supreme.

Read this devotion online:
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/12724

Pulpit Series Newsletters
============================================================================
====

Keep Yourself in the Love of God, 03.07.11
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/coverletter/2011/keep-yourself-in-the-love-
of-god

Outrunning Chariots, 02.14.11
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/coverletter/2011/outrunning-chariots

Accusing God of Child Neglect, 01.24.11
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/coverletter/2011/accusing-god-of-child-negl
ect

Sermons By David Wilkerson
============================================================================
====

The Touch of God, 05.01.03
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/4749

The Power of Forgiveness, 06.05.05
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/5343

The Meaning of the Cross, 05.22.08
http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/4775

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~

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Audio sermons by David and Gary Wilkerson are also available via our
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podcast in iTunes [http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=294033386]

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Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

"I would rather walk in the dark with Jesus than to walk in the light on
my 
own."
Wayne Watson

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/masterslist 