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EACH ONE, REACH ONE (Dec)
Before we come to the threshold of yet another year, let us as believers in Christ take stock of how we have fared in bringing our family members, colleagues and friends to the
saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As our church theme: “Each one reach one” has been a constant reminder to us over the past three years, and as history remains a fact that an international evangelist has come to our shores on two separate occasions in recent years, have we made any effort to sow the seed of the Gospel in the lives of the people of whom we come into contact with? Or have we remained tight-lipped for fear of rejection and embarrassment? What has been our experience in this area of evangelism?
Drawing our analogy and inspiration from the narrative recorded for us in Luke 5:4, when Jesus after speaking to Simon: “to push the boat out further to the deep water and you and your partners let
down your nets for a catch”.
We are guided by first, the lesson of the necessity of human means. The catch of fish in this account was miraculous but neither the fishermen nor their boat or fishing nets were ignored. Similarly, God works by His divine means in saving souls. While the presence of His grace is important to us, God will be pleased by our willingness of preaching the gospel to save those who believe.
Secondly, when Simon responded to Jesus: “Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing” (Luke 5:5a), what can we perceived from his statement?
While remembering that they were a group of experienced fishermen and fishing was their livelihood, were they short of perseverance? No, for they toiled all night long. Was there a shortage of fish in the area where the fishing was carried out? Surely not, for soon after the Master arrived, huge number of fish swam into their nets. Now, what is the next valuable lesson for us? There is no power in our human efforts without the presence of Christ in our lives. Without Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5) but conversely, with Him we can accomplish everything (Philippians 4:13).
The third important lesson we should learn from this account is when Simon in obedience and faith to Jesus, exclaimed: “But if you say so, I will let down the nets.
They let them down and caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break” (Luke 5:5b-6). Feeling downcast and sleepy after spending the whole night in the open sea, Simon could have been forgiven if he had disagreed with the Lord to cast his nets down again. In the heavenly business of bringing unsaved souls into the Kingdom of God, we, just as in Simon, have to be obedient and faithful to His calling. To remain faithful to Him, means to renounce our personal comfort and pride but instead to “deny himself and carry the cross to follow Him” (Mark 8:34). Jesus proceeded to declare: “For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35).
Finally, as we continue to embrace this theme in the remaining weeks of this year, let us not just count on our human efforts but to invite the presence of Christ in this partnership of the Gospel
while we remain obedient and faithful to His command of bringing the unsaved souls to be cleansed by the blood of Christ and for His Glory.
In His Service,
MG
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE (Nov)
Are we fully prepared to be accountable to our Lord?
We are reminded time and again that the end time is near, in fact very near. Signs like war,
political turmoil, economy crisis hitting the world like tsunamis never seen before and, worse still, we read of false prophets claiming to be the resurrected Jesus Christ. The question before us is, are we doing
enough to share the good news, the Gospel of Christ Jesus, with those who are still in darkness? In 1 John 1: 5 – 7, we know our Lord Jesus Christ is Light and in him, there is no darkness. To reinforce this blessed
hope, we look up to John Chapter 14: 5 – 6 where it is stated, The Lord is the Truth, the Way and the Life, nobody goes to the Father except through him.
Many of us born again Christians are mindful of
those around us of their destiny with doom when the end time comes, but concern for them is not enough. We need to really and seriously reach out to share with them the good news because we are part of their
hope. As in Matthew 28: 19 –20 we are to make disciples of all nations. That is not an option but a command from our savior, the good Lord Jesus Christ. In reality, we tend to be dragging our feet or not at
all excited about our Lord’s command. When we are asked the question, do you love the Lord? The answer is obvious but it is not from the hearts of some, but rather, it is spontaneous from their minds. Of course,
this is a general opinion and should not be taken wholesale.
Paradoxically speaking, imagine that we know the end time is only 24 hours away, what would you do? Most, if not all of us for a start, will
fall to our knees and pray to our Lord for forgiveness, not only for what we had done wrong in our thoughts and deeds but also asking the Lord to forgive us for not sharing the good news with others.
In the context of our church’s theme, “Each One Reach One”, it is therefore good to ask oneself, “Have I done enough to be accountable to The Lord when the end time comes”?
In His Service,
PW
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE (Oct)
In the Philippines, there is a saying that merry days start from the month of the ‘ber’ – September, October, November and December. This is due to the great populations that
prepare to celebrate the year end and Christmas holidays. And in Malaysia, these merry days would normally extend to the month of the ‘ry” – January and February, as we celebrate both the New Year and Chinese Lunar
New Year in a great scale. Some people call it the months of merry and berry. For some, it may be merry and buried.
Temporarily buried behind us, while we move into the mood of festivity, are the real
issues of daily challenges – economy, health, relationships, security, political stability, racial and religion harmony, natural disaster, and so on and so on. For many, there is no peace.
In the midst
of all these turmoil, Jesus reminded us by saying “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).
The biblical concept of peace does not focus on the absence of trouble. Biblical peace is unrelated to circumstances; it is a divine and given peace that is not touched by what happens on the outside. You
may be in the midst of great trials and still have biblical peace. Apostle Paul said he could be content in any circumstance; and he demonstrated that he had peace even in the jail at Philippi, where he sang and
remained confident that God was being gracious to him. Then when the opportunity arose, he communicated God's goodness to the Philippian jailer, and brought him and his family to salvation.
We all come
into the world as sinners fighting against God, because we are a part of the rebellion that started with Adam and Eve. Romans 5:10 says we were enemies of God. We fought against God, and everything we did militated
against His principles. But when we receive Jesus Christ, we cease being enemies of God – we make a truce with Him. We come over to His side, and the hostility is ended. Jesus Christ wrote the treaty with the blood
of His cross. That treaty, bond and covenant of peace declares that we now are at peace with Him.
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God." (Romans 5:1). We who
trust Christ are redeemed and declared righteous by faith. Our sins are forgiven, rebellion ceases, the war is over, and we have peace with God. That was God's wonderful purpose in salvation. Colossians 1:20-22 says
that Christ "made peace through the blood of His cross” And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in
order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach."
Anxiety and turmoil seldom focus on present circumstances. Normally, anxiety is trouble borrowed from either the past or the
future. Some people worry about things that might happen. Others' anxieties come out of the past. But both the future and the past are under the care of God. He promises to supply our future need, and He has
forgiven the past. Don't worry about tomorrow or yesterday. Jesus said, "Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34). Concentrate on trusting God for today's needs. God’s peace be with you.
In His Service,
WK
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
Sept
Merdeka! That was the cry from our nation’s fathers some 51 years ago. It signified the end of colonial rule and the start of a new life for the citizens of Malaysia (back then it was known as Malaya). Under colonial
rule the citizens of Malaysia were under the bondage of a foreign power which prevented the locals from experiencing true freedom. And so when our nation’s independence did come on 31st Aug 1957 almost every
Malaysian cried out for joy saying “Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!”. When Jesus came into our life, did we cry out for joy as well? If we did, is that joy still with us today? It should, for the joy that Jesus gave us
is an eternal joy and not a temporal one:
John 16:22 “I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” (NIV)
The human mind has a tendency of focusing on
things that are temporal rather than things that are eternal.
No thanks to the constant bombardment of commercials and advertisements that glorify materialism, our minds are lead astray to seek after temporal joys that we have yet to purchase or possess rather than savoring the eternal joy that we have so freely received from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Do we value our temporal possessions more than our eternal one? Jesus has said that the joy that He has given us is complete or “made full” as mentioned in John 15:11. The Greek word for “made full” is “pleroo”. An illustration of what “pleroo” means is liken to an empty glass that is filled to the brim with water. There is simply no room in that glass to fill in more water. This is what our Lord meant when He says that our joy will be “made full” in John 15:11, our joy in the Lord will simply overflow:
John 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (KJV)
Now how does one gain the fullness of joy as our Lord has promised in John 15:11?
The answer is in the preceding verse in John 15:10:
John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.”
The key is
following Christ’s commandments and they are found in the Gospels. It is said that there are 49 basic commandments of Christ apart from the many other commandments that Christ made. One of these basic commandments
is found in Matt 28:19-20:
Matt 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (KJV)
Christ said in Luke 15:10 that all heaven rejoices when a non-believer repents and accepts Jesus as Lord and
Savior. The world has long come under the bondage of a foreign power (sin) that separates men from experiencing God’s eternal joy. We need to share the Good News to the world that men may know God’s eternal joy, and
at the same time make our joy full.
In His Service,
JW
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
Aug
I believe we faced this question many times in different situation like in our job, business, exams, with friends, family members, marriage, children or church? In many occasions, the thought of running
away is ever present.
We see it in the news where people becomes fugitives due to corruption; fathers or mothers separating from each other leaving the children idle, lost and confused as though they
were the causes of the problems; children running away from home, students committing suicide due to study and peer pressure and the list goes on.
Perhaps you are also feeling like this now and you
ponder…..why am I feeling like this? What is the solution and when will this end? Many questions and no answers can be very frustrating and trying. It is very similar to the times of the Moses where he was asked by
the Lord to lead the Israelites out of Egypt; Joshua and the conquering of the land of Canaan; David when he was sought by Saul who wanted him dead; Deborah the prophetess and judge who was faced with a very charged
up Canaanites or Job whose life was filled with one calamity after another and it never seem to stop.
Many give up when they start walking by sight and not by faith, when they see to odds are coming
stronger. It is natural to use whatever strength, wisdom and advises we can get to try to overcome such situations. That is where we start compromising with the truth of God’s Word and……feel like giving up.
God’s is the same yesterday, today and forever – Heb 13:8. So are His promises, faithfulness, mercy, love, protection, deliverance, blessings and He asked us to “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or be
terrified of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you – Deut 3:16”.
His truth and character is still the same. He still calls us to obey and trust him, stay
focused on Him even though we don’t understand it. Yes, it is difficult but remember, we are all in God’s hands and He is our loving heavenly Father who created us in His image. We are God’s children and He loves us
very much and knows us in detail even to the number of our hairs. He knows us more than we do.
Pro 3:5 & 6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean in your own understanding. In all
your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight”.
God has never given up on you, so don’t give up on Him.
God has also never given up on others, so don’t give up on others as well.
God has reached someone, and that someone has taken the efforts to reach us.
So let us respond to reaching others also.
In His Service,
AQ
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
July
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What a way to begin a bible study! If it is all so meaningless as the Teacher
declares, we might all just go home. But A-ha! That’s the catch. It is only meaningless if your life is without God. And if you have already found God, how blessed are you!
In Ecclesiastes, we learn of
the emptiness of wisdom, the emptiness of pleasure, the emptiness of materialism and the emptiness of religious practices because all this is like chasing after the wind. Many people in the world today chase after
wealth, knowledge, materialism, possessions, self pleasures but do they find any joy, fulfillment and contentment? This brings to mind a song that we may be familiar with:
Everyday they pass me by, I can see it in their eyes.
Empty people filled with care, headed who knows where?
On they go through private pain, Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides their silent cries, Only Jesus hears.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realise, people need the Lord?
The second verse of this song reminds us our duty and our calling:
We are called to take His light, To a world where wrong seems right.
What could be too great a cost, For sharing Life with one who's lost?
Through His love our hearts can feel. All the grief they bear.
They must hear the Words of Life. Only we can share.
Life does
not have to be meaningless. Our friends and loved ones need not live a life of despair. Only Jesus can bring real everlasting fulfillment, joy and contentment in our lives. The writer of Ecclesiastes concluded at
the end of the book saying, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Eccl 12:13). And one of God’s clearest commandments to us is this, “Go and make disciples...” Let us each on
reach one.
In His Service,
AC
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
June
In recent weeks, the world has been bombarded with some horrifying realities of natural catastrophes that have claimed tens of thousands of lives. First was the swirling velocity of deadly cyclone Nargis
that has left the lives of possibly more than 100,000 perished, including those who are still missing until today and leaving millions of dollars worth of property destroyed. But before a tenuous calm could
descend on Haing Guy Island in southwest Myanmar, a massive earthquake ripped through Sichuan Province in southwestern China, leaving more than 60,000 people killed and more victims still buried under the tones of
rubble.
These calamities have surely driven home the grim message to us that life in this world is utterly transient. Just as it could happen to the thousands who were perished in the
deadly cyclone and earthquake, it can also happen to us when disaster strikes in a blink of an eye. Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and
worship GOD in a way that will please Him, with reverence and fear (Heb 12:28).
Since we are glad that this remains an eternal reality for us as believers in Christ but what about for those who are not
yet believers?
We are reminded in Isaiah 40:6b-7 that all mankind are like grass; they last no longer than wild flowers. Grass withers and flowers fade when the LORD sends the wind blowing over them. People are no more enduring than grass.
Since the lives of people on earth can easily be snuffed out like the flame of a candle, the LORD promised that the great gift of eternal life is offered only to those who confess that Jesus Christ is
LORD and believe that GOD raised Him from death (Romans 10:9).
But how can they call to Him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? How can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? How can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, “How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!” But not all have accepted the Good News, Isaiah himself said, “Lord, who believed our message?” So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ (Romans 10:14-17).
Let us look to the LORD for help (1 Chronicles 16:11a) to provide us with the fortitude to preach the message of Christ to our unsaved friends and relatives.
We are also called to share the love of GOD with them as we guide them on their onward way to salvation.
In preaching the message and sharing the love of GOD with others, the apostle Paul has reminded
us to be wise in the way we act toward those who are not believers while making good use of every opportunity we have. Our speech should always be pleasant and interesting. We should know how to give the
right answer to everyone (Col 4:5-6).
Finally let us be united in spirit as our church theme, EACH ONE REACH ONE sets us in the right direction for the furtherance of His Kingdom.
In His Service,
MG
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
May
All of us hold different positions in life – student, employee, employer, homemakers, retiree, etc. Regardless of our status in life, yet one thing is common to all, we can
choose to honour God by using our positions to influence people around us for good. Have we ever considered that God may have put us in that situation and “intended it for good” (Gen. 50:20) for the benefit of
others.
There are many examples from the Bible. Joseph was put in charge of the whole land of Egypt because of his wisdom and he thus saved the nation from famine. The Bible has recorded for us the
example of a young unnamed maid of Naaman the leper who used her lowly but strategic position to share with her employers about he God who can heal him.
Other examples include Esther using her influence
as queen to find favour of the Persian king to save her people from destruction, “… who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Nehemiah as a palace official was able
to seek the favour of a non-believing ruler to provide for the reconstruction of the temple of God in Jerusalem. Paul being a tentmaker was able to share the gospel with people he met during the course of his work.
Scripture clearly shows us that Joseph, Esther and Nehemiah were not placed in their respective circumstances by chance but by His design so as to be in positions where through their influence the
brought blessings not only to their own people but to others as well.
Thus as followers of Jesus Christ irrespective of our stations in life, our jobs and vocations come from God whose will is
that each of us must not lose sight of the fact that we must be able to say like Jesus that “I must be about my Father’s business.” (Luke 2:49).
Perhaps God is telling us to be conscious of our
strategic appointments in life to serve Him well as a positive influence for Jesus. May we be challenged and encouraged by the above stories to us our respective situations in life to have Christ like influences on
the people around us, so that lives can be transformed by the knowledge and saving grace of Jesus Christ. Let us therefore continue to steadfastly each one reach one from where we are.
In His Service,
PBS
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
April
During the Tony Anthony’s Easter dinner with my dad and my insurance agent, we briefly chatted about people nowadays spending substantial amount on life or medical insurances
to prepare for the unexpected. My insurance agent then reminded me of my next premium due before payment expiry. What an irony. Most of us realize we have an expiry date to keep watch from - food, loan repayments,
memberships subscription to insurances, yet failed to keep watch on our own expiry date. We can be expired being evangelized, or expired before being evangelized!
One of the most important things to be
learnt from Jesus for evangelism is the sense of urgency. He had no time to waste. So much had to be accomplished in so short a time. He had just a little over three years for His public ministry. There was no
panicking at His death. On the other hand He triumphantly declared, "It is finished!"
If only each one in the church could reach one outside, the church’s growth will defeat all imagination.
Take for example a congregation of just 100 believers. Let us adopt the principle of each one reaching just one other person for Christ in a year's time and making him a soul-winner to follow the same procedure. By
first year it becomes 200, by second 400, third 800, forth 1,600, fifth 3,200, sixth 6,400, seventh 12,800, eighth 25,600, ninth 51,200 and tenth 102,400. Even if you allow for 90% backsliding, we will still be left
with a clear membership of 10,000! Our assembly takes pride in our more than 100 years-old heritage, but how deplorable our condition is on the face of this arithmetic! According to European Christian Mission,
Europe's churches are losing 4,242 members a day including 1,727 Protestants! Enough to weep!
We need rest but we can't relax. Over thousands of persons die each day. Floods, earthquakes and other
calamities claim thousands and thousands of lives. Some countries are closing doors, but many others are opening them to evangelism. This is a day of opportunities. This is a day of Good News (2 Kings 7:9). The Lord
of the Harvest is perhaps giving the Church the last chance to gather in the grains. This is the eleventh hour (Matthew 20:6). If we delay, the harvest will waste.
Every Christian must be a missionary.
Every non-Christian is a mission field. Let's give ourselves to nonstop evangelism until the last person is reached. We should not end our work until we witness to the ends of the earth or our life is ended,
whichever comes first! Let's not postpone to tomorrow what we can do today. Tomorrow is not ours. We do not know what will happen tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1). If Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven and there is no
salvation without Him, what is the destiny of those who die before they hear about Him? (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation!" (2 Corinthians 6:2)
In His Service,
WK
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
March
My wife and I were late for marketing. At 11am, the usual stalls where we buy our fish were already closed. Hence we went to the other not so popular fish stalls. The fish we
found there didn't look appealing but the fishmonger assured us it was fresh and without formaldehyde – the stuff some unscrupulous fishmongers use to preserve the fresh look of the fish. Fish injected with
formaldehyde may look good on the outside but it is harmful to those who consume too much of it.
As we were driving home from the market, my wife and I deliberated on how the world only looks and
judges from what is appealing from the outside rather than the inside. That reminded us of Matthew 23:27 when Christ rebuked the Pharisees of the religious hypocrisy that they practiced on the outside yet harboring
sinful attitudes in the inside. Are today’s followers of Christ emulating the Pharisee like ways of the world in accepting and reaching out to others?
The theme Each One, Reach One does not mean that
we reach out to those whom we deem as acceptable to our standards. Rather, we should be reaching out to everyone regardless of their race, status, education, values, etc. If Christ was selective we wouldn’t see
Christ reaching out to the Samaritan woman at the well, the repented prostitute under judgement, the despised tax collectors, the ostracised demon possessed, the unclean lepers, etc. These are the so called rejects
of society yet their stories are being told in the Gospel of Christ. For God’s salvation is not meant for the world’s elite but for all (1 Tim 2:4).
This March there will be many evangelism activities
carried out in various assemblies where Tony Anthony and Jamie Kidd will share how Christ touched and changed their lives. In their life story, they tell of how they were rejected by society. But in the eyes of
Christ, they are co-heirs with Him (Romans 8:17). May we emulate the eyes of Christ as we Each One, Reach One.
The message is unchanging: go into the world.
Share the love of Jesus far away or door-to-door.
You see, just like someone told you that Jesus loves you so,
You must tell someone who will tell someone
Until the whole world knows
That each one can reach one
As we follow after Christ, we all can lead one!
We can lead one to the Saviour,
And together we can tell the world that Jesus is the way
If we each one reach one.
In His Service,
JW
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
February
Have you ever built on people advise only to find it back fire? Without elaborating much, this is what happened in the ever controversy video tape scandal. The bible also
has a similar event that happened when King Rehoboam, who succeeded his father King Solomon, choose to reject the advice of the ‘old men’ who was King Solomon’s counsel. Instead, he listened to ‘young men’ who grew
up with him. In 2 Chronicles 10:8, the King James version uses old and young to distinguish the fact that the older men had more experience and depth than the younger. There is a well known Chinese proverb that the
elderly likes to remind the youths that says, “I have eaten more salt that you have eaten rice” (in direct translation).
The Generation Y has much to learn from the older counsel although they have the
knowledge of modern day technological advantage over them. These days, the Gen Y is influenced by peer pressure and succumbed to follow otherwise, they will be left out alone and rejected. Thus was King Rehoboam’s
reaction, where he gave in to the advices of his peers to increase the load of the people in Israel. As a result of this, the people revolted and Rehoboam fled from Jerusalem.
In our life, we too may have
succumbed to many peer pressures that resulted in wrong decisions, sour relationships that have left us with a feeling of regret. Time will not turn back to correct the mistakes. Only God can heal the hurt and pain.
In fact, during this time, it seems like the darkest time of life where you felt alone, helpless and say, “You promised me Lord that if I followed you, you will walk with me always. But I have noticed that the most
trying periods of my life, there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why? When I needed you most, you were not there for me? The Lord replied, “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints
in the sand, is when I carried you.” Like Moses in his early days, after murdering an Egyptian, regretted his actions and lived in the desert for forty years. God healed and restored him.
There is no problem too big, God cannot solve it;
There is no mountain too tall, God cannot move it;
There is no storm too dark, God cannot calm it;
There is no sorrow too deep, God cannot soothe it.
If he carried the weight of the world upon his shoulders,
I know, my brother and sister, that he will carry you.
Pray….ask for God’s forgiveness for causing the hurt and ask for forgiveness;
Pray….ask for God’s comfort when you are hurt and forgive the person.
In His Service,
AQ
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EACH ONE, REACH ONE
Jan
Usually at this time of the year, you will read in the newspapers and magazines of people making some kind of resolutions or other. A recent article listed five most popular
resolutions made every year. The 5th was to take up a new hobby, the 4th was to make more money, the 3rd was to improve relationships, the 2nd was to stop smoking, and the most popular New Year’s resolution is….
losing weight!
Often it is this time of the year we make a resolution to change our habits and our way of life. A New Year gives us an opportunity to start afresh to better ourselves. But come somewhere in
the middle we somehow forget our resolutions and go back to our old ways.
However, here’s one resolution that I pray that we, as a church will make and keep for 2008: let us resolve to share Jesus Christ with
people. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you.” This is our Church’s theme for the third year.
To help one another to keep this resolution we need to demonstrate the following characteristics. Sincerity (James 3: 17 – But the wisdom
that comes from heaven is first pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.), passionate about Christ (Jeremiah 20:9 – His word is in my heart a fire, a
fire shut up in my bones, I am weary of holding it in, indeed I cannot), and most importantly be God-dependent. If you do nothing else, you just need to pray for people to receive Christ. Choose one person in your
life that you know needs Jesus and pray for them and ask the Holy Spirit to prepare their hearts so that when you speak to them they will be opened to hear God’s salvation plan for them.
As Paul says, “How
then can they call on the one that they have not believed in? And how can they believe in one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:15)
Finally, as we
move forward to 2008, May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6: 24-26)
A Blessed 2008!
In His Service,
AKC
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