Day 28: 50 Days of Passion

It saddens my heart to think of those who I have known over the years maybe from the youth group I attended, to the churches I have been in, to the youth that were in the group I was leading, have walked away from God. To have experienced the salvation of Jesus yet feel that it wasn’t enough. Some may say well maybe they weren’t saved to begin with. I don’t buy that, somewhere somehow and for some reason they believed a lie from the enemy whose goal was to separate them from God. Now they feel so far gone that nothing they could possibly do could make it right again.

 

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

James 4:8 NLT

 

Have you ever wondered why people would willingly walk away from God? God doesn’t leave us, walk away from us, he is always there for us. We choose to separate ourselves from him.

 

From what I am seeing is 1) we get caught up in foolish things and get ourselves in messes we don’t believe God can forgive us for. And 2) we don’t stay connected to God through prayer, bible reading and worship with the family. If you unplug from the Father, you can’t expect to stay charged. The wall outlet never moved, you did.

 

They will make all sorts of excuses why they let the faith of their youth, or a commitment that they made recently. But it will boil down to one of the two above. We need to, as brothers and sisters in Christ, work to catch these things before they get to far. If we see a brother or sister being pulled away towards foolish teachings or distractions that are pulling them way from Christ, we need to disciple them.

 

The church for to long has worked at saving people then expecting them to know it all. Our young brothers and sister in Christ need godly examples and mentors who will guide, love and protect them. Without godly mentors they will walk any which way, and eventually from God. Let’s give them a fighting chance to have a firm foundation in Jesus.

 

Maybe today you are one of those people who once had a relationship with God, and experienced the salvation of Jesus. Your story and relationship with Him isn’t over, you can restore what was lost. God like a loving Father is patiently waiting with arms stretched out awaiting your return to Him. Ask Jesus to clean up your life. He will restore your broken heart. There is hope, there is forgiveness we only have to ask. Will you come to him today?

 

Jesus, help us to be better mentors so we can disciple the new believers. Lord we fail to do this and wonder why people walk away from you. Give us wisdom and guidance to be good leaders in our church’s that we see things that are happening and actively try to stem the issues that arise. We want to be loving our brothers and sisters. I pray we will make time to be mentors to them. They matter to you God, so they matter to me. Amen

 

 

Day 46: 50 Days of Impact

I had the privilege of seeing Ted DiBiase “The Million Dollar Man” this weekend where he was speaking to a group of men. One point he made was that “We are judged by our obedience and our hearts.” This is so true and fits into todays blog as it is our obedience in being the light and our hearts response to the light that brings us to a relationship with Him. Many will claim to be in the light yet live in the darkness, many are attending your churches.

 

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So, we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

1 John 1:5-10 NLT

 

Are you living in the light? Are you fellowshipping with other believers? Only on Sunday’s? Do you talk about Jesus outside of church with anyone? Believers or non-believers?

 

We need to be the light, we need to share the light. Jesus said what good are we if we are the light but hide in a bucket? We need to be on a hill, a beacon for those around us to see. We need to be set apart, different. We are all unique in our personalities, which is awesome. Being like Jesus and the light does not change that, it enhances who we are and displays a change in behaviours, attitudes towards certain activities that are contradictory to the light.

 

Don’t hide what you are lighting up. Don’t purposefully be putting yourself into situations which will cause you to sin. Our earthly bodies are still prone to sin and it will happen but remember Jesus promised to cleanse us of our daily transgressions. He will restore us to be the lights we are called to be.

 

We need to share the love of Jesus to those around us, the matter to him so they matter to us. Let us be the light to them.

 

Maybe today your heart isn’t where it should be, or that you never truly had a relationship with God. Jesus is the only way to a relationship with God. Asking him to clean your sin up, removing it completely, committing yourself to following him. Then asking him to help you do a 180 in your life and start living in the light. Find some Christians who will hold you to account, they will guide and mentor you. I encourage you to not delay and make a choice to follow Christ today.

 

Jesus, I want to be the light you have called me to be. Holly Spirit let me burn ever brighter as to reach the people around me. Even at the points where I am just doing my job at work, I want to be someone whose integrity and compassion for people shines through. Burn in my heart that they matter to you so they should matter to me. Amen

 

 

Day 33: 50 Days of Impact

If I had the cure for some incurable disease and never shared it what would that make me? Or if I found it but then mad it so expensive that only the elite could afford it or put others in extreme financial hardship to get well, to the point of not living once cured. We look at what Jesus has done and can’t comprehend what he actually has done for this world. He selfishly gave him self up as a cure for sin. He then offered it freely to those who would only accept it and him. No works to be done, no daily mantras to recite, no human or idol to worship.  He asks that you talk to him, ask for forgiveness and do a 180 on the life you were living. He will take us, our personalities, likes and talents and use you to help others see who his is. Following Jesus doesn’t mean losing your identity but finding out who you were truly meant to be.

 

“And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”

Jude 1:22-23 NLT

 

 

We have heard it before hate the sin but love the person. Why is that so important of a point? If we hate the person and the sin we then display that they are important to us, or if they aren’t important to us then how important are they to God. John 3:16 is the key where it says, “for God so loved the world”. This tells me the world is important to God, and if they are important to God they should be important to us.

 

This passage is an urgent plea to snatch people from the flames of judgment. We need to purposefully reach others, telling them about the saving grace of Jesus. Because if you believe it or not there are only two options in death. Heaven or hell. And the choices we make here on earth decide where we go. And don’t be fooled a choice of “not now”, it is a choice of hell.

 

So, what is holding you back from sharing your faith? What’s holding you back from inviting someone to your church? Do you love them enough to care where they spend eternity? I pray even today you will reach someone for Jesus!

 

Jesus, give us a strength and passion to reach the lost. Holy Spirit give us many opportunities even today to share about Jesus. You told us that God so loved the world and continues to love the world, not to condemn it but to bring life. Help us to see others the way God does, love them the way he does. They matter to him so they should matter to us. Amen

 

Day 32: 50 Days of Impact

There are many in the world that label themselves Christian. Christianity has become a label of people who attend a church that is founded in following Jesus. Yet attending a church does not make us a Christian anymore then going to a farm makes us a farmer. It takes a commitment and change to truly understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus. If those who claimed to be Christians all had a personal relationship with Jesus, I can only imagine what kind of world we would be living in. Are you ready to share your faith and make an impact?

“Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

Colossians 1:22 NLT

If you have accepted Christ into you heart, asked him to forgive you of your sins this verse is for you. We who have repented (turned a 180 from our old lives) now are holy and blameless as we stand before the holy God. Amazing that we can be called children of God.

Children still get dirty, but we should be wise and know when to ask for forgiveness, and strive to work with the Holy Spirit to steer clear of those things that will cause us to sin and damage us (potholes).

We matter to God. Those around us who don’t know God, let me tell you a secret. They matter to God. Even thought they are sinning and doing evil things, even thought they are dirty and want nothing to do with spiritual matters. Even if they call themselves atheists, Muslims, liberal, homeless or addicts, they matter to God.

The mantra I am now focusing my life and ministry on is based on Jesus mission to us.

If they matter to God, the should matter to us.

We are called to seek and save the lost, to make disciples who will in turn go out and seek and save the lost. Let’s start working at helping people that matter to God reconcile with the saviour so we don’t become selfish in out faith thinking it is only for us or the select few. For God so loved the World. Not a select chosen few. He displayed his love on the cross when he took ALL mankind’s sins.

Today, right now if your reading this and don’t know Jesus, maybe you know of Jesus, but you have never had a relationship with him. You never asked him to forgive you of your sins, come into your heart and cleanse you, I encourage you to call on him right now. Or you have walked away from him, thinking you can play both sides and one day repent, the problem with that is that one day might not give you a chance. Don’t delay. Let’s pray,

Dear Jesus, if today someone reading this, or someone shared this and someone who doesn’t know you is reading this, I pray they will call of your name. Jesus come into my heart, I know I am a sinner and I can’t get to heaven without your sacrifice. Come into my heart and make me clean, I want to change and follow you. Help me do a 180 in my life. God, you are so awesome. You promise if anyone calls on your name they will be saved, so help us to turn our lives around and share the message of your grace to all those around us. Because if they matter to you then the should matter to us. Amen

If you prayed to Jesus for the first time or maybe for the fifth time, I encourage you to tell someone you know who loves Jesus. Why? Because it will help you in more ways then you can imagine, they will help you in your new relationship with Jesus. Don’t wait tell them today. Find a church and plug in, the family of God will build you up. I would love to hear from you to, feel free to contact me. God bless.