For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes....for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Romans 1: 16 - 17
The gospel of Christ, translated the good news of Christ, is the power of God to save individuals who will respond in faith. Many seeds are scattered which direct seekers to self-help, meditational thoughts from Buddha and direction from icons of the culture declaring you must ONLY believe and good things will happen. However, scripture very clearly says it is the gospel of Christ that God uses to save. Clearly, if we can scatter seeds directly related to the good news of the work of Christ, then it becomes possible for those seeds to grow into faith, trust, and hope.
Let's pray for the individuals we know who desperately need Christ to have open hearts and minds toward Him.
Father, we ask that you soften hearts toward Christ and reveal the lies being believed that offer only momentary relief.
Think about how you first believed in Christ. What seed from that experience can you offer to someone else?
Blessings
Showing posts with label Believe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Believe. Show all posts
Monday, October 17, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Begging for Life
"There was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death." John 4: 46-47
The royal official is another "outsider" most likely from the Roman government who comes to Jesus seeking his intervention. He is not part of religious Jewish society but comes seeking Jesus to heal his son anyway. Somewhere he must have heard about Jesus' compassion acts of healing for the sick, so he came seeking the same for his son. At some point, the seed was sown and when this man had the opportunity he sought Jesus for his sons healing. Jesus only spoke the words and the son lived.
"He himself believed and his household." The harvest that day was a Roman household who before receiving back their son only knew Jesus from afar. That day they knew him personally.
Father, I ask that any who only know you from afar would take the step of asking you for personal knowledge of you in their lives.
Blessings
The royal official is another "outsider" most likely from the Roman government who comes to Jesus seeking his intervention. He is not part of religious Jewish society but comes seeking Jesus to heal his son anyway. Somewhere he must have heard about Jesus' compassion acts of healing for the sick, so he came seeking the same for his son. At some point, the seed was sown and when this man had the opportunity he sought Jesus for his sons healing. Jesus only spoke the words and the son lived.
"He himself believed and his household." The harvest that day was a Roman household who before receiving back their son only knew Jesus from afar. That day they knew him personally.
Father, I ask that any who only know you from afar would take the step of asking you for personal knowledge of you in their lives.
Blessings
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Does seeing and hearing lead to believing?
"We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:3
I'm sitting in a popular coffee shop, listening to the elevator music and pieces of conversation that float around me. Over the din comes a man's voice, speaking slowly, carefully forming each word.
"How are you feeling, Mom?" He's on the phone several booths away, but I hear his voice as if he sits beside me. He waits while she speaks.
"I know you're tired. Let me pray for you before we go." He has to repeat it twice, and each time he expresses patience and kindness.
And to my astonishment, he prays. Loudly. Slowly. With the entire coffee shop listening. I'm embarrassed and saddened to admit that this astonishes me. How different would our world be if we all took opportunities as this man does, as the disciples did, to pray for others? To do so without shrinking or puffing ourselves up? And in praying, to actually see and hear and have fellowship with Jesus and His followers?
For those of you that don't know Jesus, let me say this: sometimes having a personal interaction with Him looks different than we expect. It's not ethereal or mysterious. It's not soul-shaking. It doesn't alter the planets. But hopefully it alters us, and in time it should shake our souls to the point of seeking Jesus and everything He stands for.
This man's simple action of love altered my day. Changed the course of my actions. I pray you see and hear Jesus in your life through simple actions of love, that your actions and your souls are shaken by knowing Him. And I pray that, seeing and hearing, you believe and accept Him.
"But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." John 1:12-13
Whether or not you believe Jesus is the Savior of the world, have you had a personal experience that brought you closer to accepting Him? Please share your thoughts with us!
I'm sitting in a popular coffee shop, listening to the elevator music and pieces of conversation that float around me. Over the din comes a man's voice, speaking slowly, carefully forming each word.
"How are you feeling, Mom?" He's on the phone several booths away, but I hear his voice as if he sits beside me. He waits while she speaks.
"I know you're tired. Let me pray for you before we go." He has to repeat it twice, and each time he expresses patience and kindness.
And to my astonishment, he prays. Loudly. Slowly. With the entire coffee shop listening. I'm embarrassed and saddened to admit that this astonishes me. How different would our world be if we all took opportunities as this man does, as the disciples did, to pray for others? To do so without shrinking or puffing ourselves up? And in praying, to actually see and hear and have fellowship with Jesus and His followers?
For those of you that don't know Jesus, let me say this: sometimes having a personal interaction with Him looks different than we expect. It's not ethereal or mysterious. It's not soul-shaking. It doesn't alter the planets. But hopefully it alters us, and in time it should shake our souls to the point of seeking Jesus and everything He stands for.
This man's simple action of love altered my day. Changed the course of my actions. I pray you see and hear Jesus in your life through simple actions of love, that your actions and your souls are shaken by knowing Him. And I pray that, seeing and hearing, you believe and accept Him.
"But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." John 1:12-13
Whether or not you believe Jesus is the Savior of the world, have you had a personal experience that brought you closer to accepting Him? Please share your thoughts with us!
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