Day 45: 50 Days of Impact

Don’t be fooled. There is a choice to make in this life. Don’t let anyone try to convince you that there are many roads to God. In fact, the truth is there are many roads to hell. But there is only on way to God. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the light. ANYONE who wants to come to the Father (God) MUST come through ME.” If we want to impact our world with the truth then we must be telling the truth, sharing the truth and confronting the lies. It may feel uncomfortable, it may put you into strange situations, you may get persecuted, but when you stand up for the truth of Jesus you will see lives changed.

 

 

““Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.

 

You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.””

Deuteronomy 30:15-16, 20 NLT

 

Even back in the Old Testament God desire was for us to have a relationship with him. We always had a choice to make. Follow his commands and live a righteous life. In the New Testament Jesus provides a new way to have a relationship with God through him. He made the ultimate sacrifice creating the way for us to meet God.

 

But we must make the choice. We as believers keep making choices in our life. We choose to keep following or let go. We choose to be active in our faith or be lazy. We choose to share our faith or keep it to ourselves.

 

We are shown in the verse today that if we choose to walk in the ways of God we will prosper. I wonder how many of us are in the situations we are because we have chosen are ways over Gods ways?

 

I see so many hurting and lost people that are torn up inside, the ones I am thinking of are the mentally broken, they keep looking to man and medication to fix the brokenness inside, yet don’t realize that Jesus can change them from the inside. But the must make the choice to ask him. This is not always instant fix thought. I can’t explain why believers can choose Christ and not be freed from there anguish, or are hurting mentally and physically. Paul talked about an ailment he kept asking to be cured of, but it didn’t happen. Trials and testing are part of the Christian walk. Maybe we endure these so we can connect with people who are lost with similar situations. Only God knows his plan.

 

I ask you today to firmly commit yourself to Jesus, trust his ways what ever they many be. Wake up each morning with a desire to ask the Holy Spirit ‘What can we do together today.’

 

Jesus, we need to make a choice to follow you and to daily continue to follow you. Thank you for giving us the freedom to make the choice. Let us be a light to those around us who are making unwise choices. Help those who are hurting mentally, depressed and reliving memories of past hurt. Let us see the world through your eyes and remember they matter to you so they matter to us. 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