Day 42: 50 Days All In

This week heaven welcomed home a man who embodied what it meant to have an all in relationship with God. When I think of heaven I return to Randy Alcorn’s artistic vision of heaven, where we arrive through from this world into the next into a ‘birthing room’. There we are met by people who were our earthly family and those we impacted with the faith. Jesus standing right there, the center of it all, welcoming us home. I see Rev. Graham, after embracing his savior wiping the tears of joy from his eyes looking around to the mass of people surrounding them asking the savior “who are all these people here?” Jesus, looking at him with love and saying “Billy, these are all the people your life impacted for my kingdom.” Then and there each one, like a wedding line, they each and everyone hugging and embracing Rev. Graham giving him a crown thanking him for showing them God’s love maybe even telling their story on how he impacted their lives. After what seems like an eternity, Billy looks over at the pile of rewards gathered at his feet, turns his face to Jesus and bows down. “My savior, these are for you.” “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

 

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT

I wonder if we examined yesterday, and really took some time to break it down, how would it look compared to the example of Christ. I wouldn’t have to look very hard to find times that I either missed an opportunity to share the love of Jesus or find a time where my example was not much of one. We go through life just doing the motions. Not really thinking about what we are doing as they have become ingrained in us. No one can expect us to compare ourselves with other believers, yet sometimes we do that to ourselves. There may never be anyone like Billy Graham because he was called for his mission his purpose. You are called to be you.

To imitate God isn’t something that instantaneously happens when we accept Jesus into our lives. We are a work in progress, we still have to live in this sinful world which will daily grind us done in hopes of us throwing aside the new found freedom we have. The enemy doesn’t want us to be effective in our walk with Jesus. If he has lost you he will do everything in his power to either get you to relinquish the freedom or make you apathetic to the cause of reaching others. Lazy Christians are effective for the enemy.

But as followers of Jesus, we like children should be looking at him as a role model, father figure, teacher. Someone to look up to, aspire to, work to become like, it is what we are called to. He gave us a mission of sharing the same love, that rescued you from the eternity in hell, and to share it to those around us. Those who are like us, those who live close by and may not be like us, those outside our area and those out in the world. Do not be deceived, we are called to tell others about Jesus. If you are not telling others about Jesus, you are not listening to the one who saved you.

What is holding you back from sharing Jesus with people? If we want to experience and all in relationship with God, then we need to share our hope. We can’t keep this awesome truth to ourselves. Learn from Billy Graham’s all in relationship with God, he didn’t keep God’s love to himself and his life and ministry impacted untold numbers of people. God can use you to impact untold numbers of people. Will you let him?

Jesus, we thank you for rescuing us. We ask your forgiveness if we haven’t been faithful in sharing you live with others. Help us to do this daily. Encourage us to see the moments and grasp them. As we see people come to you it will motivate us, even more, to share your love. Set us on fire. They matter to you, so they matter to me. Amen

 

 

 

 

Day 37: 50 Days of Impact

Have you ever had someone tell you that there are many roads to God? They may rationalize it and say something like ‘well if God is so big why wouldn’t he diversify’. If God had many options for his followers to find him why then are other religious groups killing Christians? If we are all serving the same God would not killing his followers be counterproductive?  They are killing Christians because they are not serving the same God. They are following a fallen angel whose main objective is to keep people from sharing the truth about God. The truth is this, there are many roads to hell, but only one road to heaven.

“There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!””

John 14:2-7 NLT

 

One day I had an encounter with a wanderer. During our conversation turned to spirituality and he expressed that he believed in a creator whomever the creator may be. There is a very unbiblical thought movement among some believers that there are many roads to heaven. We as followers of Christ believe that Jesus is God. And if Jesus is God, then what he says must be true. Because if you claim he was only a great teacher, then looking at the words above without the divinity behind it would make him out to be a crazy man.

 

So, if we believe what he says to be true, then how can as believers think that without an acceptance of Jesus in the life of a person would allow them to enter the presence of the Father? We can’t, to do so goes against what we say we believe. Jesus spoke the words ” no one comes to the Father except through me”. That is a pretty cut and dry statement. He made this even before he made the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus knew the plan he had come to fulfill and was preparing his people for this choice they must make.

 

So, we as believers need to see people in this world as they truly are, lost. Were we not lost? Are we not sinners who are redeemed, yet we are still living in s a sinful world that still affects us daily? They may do good things, they may be good people, but without Jesus they are suffering the same fate as every mediocre or bad person out there. They may follow another faith that has a man or deity at its head, but don’t be fooled that man or deity is dead and not doing anything for them, they will suffer the same fate of any man or woman not following Jesus.

 

But don’t despair for your friends and family. We have a mission from Jesus too. As I have been writing for weeks now. They matter to God, so let’s show them they matter to us. Jesus told us to go into the world and reach the lost making disciples of all men. We need to be the ones who share the love of Jesus with these good people, we need to reach them for Jesus. Works cannot get us to heaven. A relationship with Jesus is the only way.

 

Seize every opportunity that is given to you to share Jesus. You will win some, you will lose some, but if you don’t try you will lose them all.

 

Jesus, I pray again today that you will give me and the readers opportunities to reach the lost, put random people in our paths or purposefully put someone we love in a place to reach them for you today. Give us the words to speak and the love to share to make an impact in their lives. If it is a simple invite to church, sharing your testimony or a full out gospel message, I pray you will give them courage to do something. Let every opportunity they receive become growth in their walk with you. Let them experience your joy and peace as they do your will and work towards accomplishing the mission. Amen

 

#50daysofpray

 

 

Day 15: 50 Days of Impact

Lately if you have been reading my posts you will have seen a trend of making an impact in our world through sharing the truth about sin and salvation. I am hoping that this is connecting with you and motivating you to move forward in sharing your faith. The amazing thing about this avenue is I have no idea who may be reading this and how it may be showing them the truth. Wouldn’t it be awesome for one day when I am walking on the new earth to have somebody come up to me and tell me that they are there because of something wrote. What you do effects so many people, will what you do be positive and work towards leading them to a relationship with Jesus, or will it hinder them from finding him?

 

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.”

1 Timothy 1:15-16 NLT

 

We sometimes come into a place as Christians where we have been so comfortable in our salvation that we forget or overlook that we were once sinners in need of a saviour. Then we become complacent in our sharing the love of Christ with the list, and become pew sitters.

 

Many of our eyes are blind to the lost people around us. We know their lost but for some reason, apathy perhaps, we don’t care. The calling to reach those who are lost needs to be our life focus, not with a sense of guilt leading it, but a genuine passion to share Gods love with this broken world. The joy that comes when someone receives Christ for the first time is unexplainable, the roar of rejoicing in heaven echoing in our hearts.

 

Dear Jesus, I need a passion for the lost. I am failing in the great commission and want to turn that part of my life around. Holy Spirit give me words to speak, help me past my pride and ego to share your love. Amen
How can I help you today? Do you need prayer? Do you have questions? I would love to help.