Winning Souls

 Proverb 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

The soul of man is trapped and is held by Satan. From the fall of Adam and Eve, the soul of man has been made captive to sin and darkness. A child, as innocent as it may be, was born with the nature of sin in his heart. The battle to “win” back God’s creation has been fought from the beginning of time. It is the desire of God that souls be brought back into fellowship with Him. Winning souls is to convert others from their sinful ways and win them over to Christ. To win is to teach and persuade others of the claims of Christ in their heart.  Teaching them that the source of life is found in the tree of life. Righteousness and right living is to confess our sins, trust in the blood of Christ to cleanse our heart from sin, and live righteously before Him. As Christians, we are to be ambassadors for Christ, doing what we can to convert others to follow Christ. Our first responsibility to win others to Christ is to live a life that reflects the image of Christ. Our words and teaching are discarded when our lives are not consistent with the teaching. It is through the teaching of the word in harmony with our lives that others can be won to Christ. It is possible to win others to Christ without walking them through the "Roman road to salvation." Our life should be a living Bible, seen and read by all men, but there is power in the spoken word. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Roman 10:10. Let our fruit be that of righteousness and our lives win others to Christ.

The Love of God

 John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The old familiar Bible verse rings loud and clear during the Christmas season. Truly, this is the center of the Christmas story. God sent His Son to earth in the form of a baby. Wise men from the East saw the star and came to worship Him. The Shepherd gathered in the field and heard the angel proclaim His coming. Mary pondered in her heart the miracle of the newborn baby. The demonstration of God's love was manifested to the world when He gave Himself to die for the sins of the world. The song says it so well, “The love of God is far greater than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell. The wand'ring child is reconciled by God's beloved Son.”- Frederick M. Lehman. Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, God’s love poured down from heaven above. His love reaches you and me desiring fellowship, a relationship that will be everlasting. Jesus grew to adulthood, showed us how we were to love one another. His love allowed the Roman soldiers to pierce the nails in His hand. His love took on the sins of the world. “He paid the debt He did not owe, I owe a debt I could not pay.” The Christmas story, the greatest love story ever told! Oh, The love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

Cast Down in Our Soul

 Psalm 42:5&11
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
There are days when it seems that everything has gone wrong. Discouragement settles in, and we may even have a pity party. It does appear that the Psalmist is feeling sorry for himself and wonders why God appears to be far away. Human emotions are subject to feelings of abandonment and loss. We all, no doubt, have been where David has been. His life was being threatened, and he was on the run. Saul was in pursuit, his best friend Jonathan was doing what he could, but he was also at the mercy of his father. During this time in David’s life, he was seeking the presence of God. His desire was to dwell in His temple and feel His presence. On purpose, David chose to praise and worship God even when he did not feel like it. His hope was grounded in knowing that God was in control. Praising God is the best way to lift yourself out of discouragement or when depression starts to settle in. When our prayers hit the ceiling and seem to go nowhere, we can praise our way through to God. He delights in the praise of his people. Our hope in God is found when we look to Him, even when we are cast down and everything looks hopeless. Tears of sorrow can be turned into smiles of delight when we choose to praise Him, regardless of our circumstances.

Christian Moderation

 Phil 4:5 
Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

The modern definition of moderation is to do all things in balance. Within reasonable limits, not to excess. The Greek meaning of the word refers to restraint on the passions, general soberness of living, being free from all excesses. The word also implies that a lifestyle that others who are watching would see Christ. They were to govern their appetites, control their behavior, and to be examples of what was proper living for those who were expecting the Lord to return soon. The exhortation to live in moderation is made possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. A life of moderation is to live in harmony with the fruit of the Spirit. There are those who live with strict adherence to the letter of the law, and their passion to keep the law comes across as harsh and intolerant. Living in moderation does not mean that one compromises their Biblical belief to keep the Lord’s commandment, but understands that the spirit of gentleness and kindness overrules the letter of the law to execute judgment. We who seek to live a balanced Christian life, must understand that love does not condone sin, but love will treat the sinner with kindness and gentleness, showing our moderation to all men.

Exceeding Great Joy

 Luke 2:10, Mat 2:10
The angel brought “good tidings of great joy” to the shepherds… The wise men, when they saw the star, “rejoiced with exceeding great joy”

The shepherd’s eyes were amazed as they heard the good news! The Messiah was born, the Savior who will change the world had condensed into the human race. Like  the wise men, they probably rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Their joy exceeded the merriment of being happy. Joy filled their hearts to overflowing. They saw the significance of this historical event. 

Greeting others with, “Merry Christmas” is to wish people a happy holiday season as they gather together with friends and family. Smiles are seen on parents and grandparent’s faces as they watch the children unwrap their gifts, excitement in the air as the child opens the present they have been wanting for days. No doubt, happiness fills the home. The songwriter penned it well:
 “It's the most wonderful time of the year. 
With the kids jingle belling. 
And everyone tells you to be of good cheer.”
But to the believer, Christmas is more than being merry with our loved ones, it is a time of great joy! A celebration and remembering the joy of salvation that Jesus came to save people from their sins. Exceeding great joy transcends human emotion. It is an eternal joy that is sealed in the heart that all is well with our soul. Jesus came to earth that we might have joy and have it more abundantly.  Circumstances in life may not always be filled with happy emotions and merriment, but it can be filled with great joy that we are a child of the king, and he knows us by name. As welook at the star that hangs in the church or in your home, may we also rejoice with exceeding great joy, knowing that Jesus came and died for us. In Him, we have real joy. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!

Evil Turned to Good

 Gen. 50:20
“..You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..”

Turning something bad into good. That is what God is able to do. We look at circumstances in our lives and will often ask, why? What good will come from this? A life surrendered to God does not have to ever say, “If only.” The things that happen in our lives are for a purpose, and we just have to wait to see what God is going to do. Even if we miss the mark, and fail to do what is right, God can take our failures and do something good. This is not a reason not to walk and live carefully before God, but a reminder that God will not leave us hanging. The laws of sowing and reaping are not discarded, sin has its consequences, but we serve a merciful God who will show Himself to be full of grace. But, we can live like Joseph, and believe that God has a reason for the things that happen in our lives. At the moment, we probably will not see it. Joseph, sitting in the prison cell, no doubt, had his days when he wondered why his life was going to waste. His life was a sample of righteous living. He was a victim of other people's bad decisions. We don’t see God’s main plan. God is in control of the endgame. He makes the last move and knows how the story will end. We are clay in the master’s hand. He is shaping and molding us into the vessel that can be used for His glory. God used Joseph to save his family and the nation. God took the evil deeds of his brothers and turned them into a blessing for good. When bad things happen to God’s people, let us trust God to use them for good. 

Peace on Earth

 Luke 2:14, Col 3:15
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men….And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
The desire for most people is to have peace, freedom from disturbance, absence of conflict, war to be eliminated, and tranquility of mind and heart. Sin in the hearts of humanity is the root that makes lasting peace unattainable. The carnal nature born in man is at war with the nature of God, who is our Peace. Christ came to bring peace to mankind, peace that passes all understanding. But as long as sin remains, war will continue to be part of life. Jesus said that nations will war against nations, and His sword will bring division because sin is at enmity with God. The proclamation made by the angels on the day Christ was born, that this Christ would bring peace on earth. Peace is made available to every man, woman, boy and girl on earth. Through Christ, we can have peace in our heart. The war with sin is over, the blood of Jesus has made the heart clean, and He can rule in our hearts. We now have victory or sin and our way is now God’s way , we have surrendered everything over to God. Our plans, ambition, and desires are now His to rule. The Peace of God brings tranquility when everything else is chaotic. The world around us is looking for world peace, but real peace only comes when Christ is born in your heart, and He controls our destiny and journey in life. 

Be Strong and Courageous

 Take 2 on being Strong (30423)

Joshua 1:9
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

In the face of difficult life’s problems, it is not easy to be strong. Being strong is made possible when we realize our weakness, and inability to do it on our own. The mere determination of our will only take us so far. Paul writes, “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Joshua was stepping into some big shoes. Moses, the mouthpiece of God, brought the Israelite out of Egypt by putting his trust in the Almighty to deliver. Now Joshua was being asked to take Israelites into the promised land. As we walk with God, He brings things into our lives that appear insurmountable. The stress and expectation of our jobs, the responsibilities of caring for those God has entrusted us with, The mental stress of new challenges, and the many other countless problems we face day to day. It’s ok to confess weakness and realize that we are only human and we need God to be with us and give us the help and strength to be strong when our human strength has been depleted. We all are on a journey following where God leads us. He will not leave or forsake us. He is our stronghold, and in Him we can be strong and courageous.

Advent:Our Hope

 1 Thess 2:19
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

As we approach the 1st Advent  of Christmas, we take time to prepare our hearts with the expectation of hope that Christ brings to the world. For many, Christmas is a time that families gather together, exchange gifts, partake together with food and pleasant conversation. This may not be the case in every home, but as a general consensus this is the picture we conjure. A time of goodwill and promoting peace on earth. Unfortunately, in the homes of many families, this is all it means. There may be a word or two about the celebration of the birth of Jesus giving lip service to His coming. To the true believer, the coming of Jesus is the hope that fills the heart. It is a hope that allows us to live each day knowing that He came not only to bring peace to earth, but to bring peace to the heart. We hope not as making a wish, but our hope is built on nothing less that Jesus Christ our redeemer, a hope and faith that He will someday return. As in His first coming, our hope is not in vain. His promises are true, Hope will someday burst the eastern sky, and He shall appear, and we who are in Christ will be caught up together in the air and be with Him forevermore. For this is our hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing as we enter this Christmas season.