B2B Concert of Prayer – Taking Time #876

Posted on December 1, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 876

“Taking Time”

too_busyWhat good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17)

I will never forget the time I stopped at a mall on my way home from church one Sunday to shop for a winter coat. The sermon that morning dealt with taking the time to care about other people and to care enough to truly, actively listen to them.

A man I had seen at church on a few occasions was shopping the same coat rack as I was. I did not know his name so I greeted him with the generic ‘Hello, how are you doing?’ thinking that once pleasantries were exchanged I could go on about my business and get home for lunch – I was hungry.

The man proceeded to ‘dump his bucket’ telling me about all his trials and difficulties. It was then that the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart about what had been taught from God’s Word that morning and that this encounter was truly a divine appointment. We spent the next two hours at that coat rack talking, listening, praying, and sharing the truth of God’s Word as it applied to his circumstances.

It is good to be busy. It is not good to be too busy to nurture depth in our relationships with God and our fellow man. We are too busy when the unexpected, unplanned encounter with someone, family member or otherwise, is viewed as a disruption and a bother to our schedule. Jesus taught a parable about a Good Samaritan who took the time to care for someone’s needs where others had been too busy to be bothered and passed him by. He concludes this teaching with the command to ‘Go, and do likewise’ (Luke 10:25-37)

What relationships are you too busy to nurture? Do you find that your spouse, children, or other relatives and acquaintances are a bother to you on occasion? When the Holy Spirit prompts you with God’s call to action, do you ‘put Him on hold’ because you are too busy doing other stuff? You may be too busy doing a myriad of good things – but are they the right things to do at that time?

May the Holy Spirit speak to your heart how to live a balanced, full life with time to nurture and develop depth in your relationship with Jesus and all others in your circle of influence. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven… (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Seek First Righteousness #875

Posted on November 24, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 875

 “Seek First His Righteousness”

i_am_gods_righteousnessBut seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… (Matthew 6:33)

Consider an alternative paradigm to that of the linear, top to bottom, first things first priority list we all tend to live by. Consider your life to be encircled by organic and dynamic relationship contexts rather than a series of to-do tasks that need to be performed. God is always first in this paradigm because He is at the center of your life and when you seek first His Kingdom and Righteousness, He is at the very core of your being. Seeking first begins with accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It begins with a personal relationship with Him. In placing Him on the central ‘throne’ of our life we seek first His kingdom and we yield to His authority and rule as we serve Him and others in His Name. It is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ that permeates and works through our relationship layer called ‘self’ and touches the lives of people in all other surrounding relationship contexts of work, church, government, family, and world.

What exactly is ‘righteousness’? Righteousness deals with our actions that are done in accordance with divine or moral law. So why seek after ‘His’ righteousness and not our own? After all, there are many ‘good people’ doing ‘good things’ in life that do not accept Jesus Christ. They have something or someone else on the ‘throne’ of their life but for all intents and purposes they appear to be righteous. To answer that question we need only look to God’s Word. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. (Isaiah 64:6)

We are all born into a sinful nature and all the good and righteous things we do remain as dirty rags in God’s sight. Paul lamented this fact in his letter to the Romans. ‘O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?’(Romans 7:24) Paul answered his own rhetorical question in the following verse declaring: ‘Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!’ Jesus will deliver us from our body of death when we accept Him as our Lord and allow Him to establish His kingdom in our heart. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Practically speaking, to seek first after God’s righteousness is to devotedly spend time studying God’s Word because Scripture is useful for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). In addition, to seek His righteousness means to obey His commands. This requires being sensitive to the leading of His Holy Spirit who convicts us concerning righteousness (John 16:8)

In summary, if the priority of your life is to ‘get to heaven’ by being the best moral person you can be, you have missed the mark. The only righteousness that God will accept on the last day is the righteousness of Jesus Christ and Jesus’ righteousness is freely and graciously imparted to us when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

May you decide today the priority focus of your life – what you will seek after first. May you choose to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and enjoy the peace, comfort, and joy that stems from an intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. May you yield to the Holy Spirit and allow the righteousness of Jesus to be manifested in all your relationships to the glory and praise of His Name.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Seek First His Kingdom #874

Posted on November 17, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 874

“Seek First His Kingdom”

kingdomfirst_icBut seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness… (Matthew 6:33)

First and foremost, above everything that this world has to offer, we must desire a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Of all our life relational contexts: God, Self, Family, Church, Government, Work, and World only God must be central through which He touches all other relationships through us. This places Him as Sovereign and as King over us. So what is the nature of the ‘kingdom of God’ and what is it exactly that we are to seek first?

Jesus described the Kingdom of God as a mustard seed with its tiny beginnings and eventual growth into a shelter providing shrub. (Luke 13:18-19) He also described the Kingdom as a small amount of yeast that works its way through the entire batch of dough. (Matthew 13:33) Both metaphors describe a Kingdom that is present, active, and steadfast in its purpose and growth.

The Kingdom of God is here having begun when Jesus our Messiah came as God incarnate and it continues to build until that future day when Jesus comes again in power and glory. The kingdom is present in its beginnings in the yielded hearts of believers in Christ. “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:20-21) The Kingdom of God is also future in its fullness; in one sense it is here already, but in the richest sense it is still yet to come.

We who profess to be Christians comprise the Body of Christ, His church here on earth. The task of the church is to make the invisible kingdom of God visible through faithful Christian living and testimony. We must make the Gospel message credible by manifesting the reality of kingdom life in our daily walk – in our homes, workplaces, and the world. Take a spiritual inventory of your life as viewed by the world. Do your words manifest the grace, peace, and love of Jesus? Do your hands bless others as Jesus’ hands would? Is your lifestyle character consistent with that of an Ambassador of Christ’s kingdom?

To seek first His kingdom is to submit to the rule and reign of God as sovereign over your life. It is to desire the presence of God in your heart and with fear and reverence acknowledge that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17) We seek first His kingdom when we obey His commandments and put our profession of faith into action.

May you desire above all else in this life to carry the light of the Kingdom of God into the darkness of this world. May you desire to have every aspect of your life bring glory to God. May your eyes be opened to the reality of the eternal kingdom that lies ahead of you and may you seek first the rule and reign of the Kingdom of God today.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Seek First: Relationship #873

Posted on November 11, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 873

“Seek First: Relationship”

relationship with godBut seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Have you ever lost or misplaced something very important or valuable? I once misplaced an important document whose response deadline was imminent. Have you experienced that knot in the pit of your stomach as I did as you frantically searched for the item? I think we have all had that feeling as we, for the moment, forgot about all other agendas and made searching for the lost item an absolute first priority.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus speaks to us about the priorities of life. He exhorts us to seek first what has eternal value rather than to seek the temporal things of this world. ‘Seek’ means to search. It is an action word. We are not to sit idly by and merely desire the kingdom of God. We are to actively search for it with intensity and fervor. ‘First’ means above all other things, foremost, a priority. When combined, the words, ‘seek first’, in the original Greek have an action imperative tense and mood. ‘Seek first’ is not a suggestion – It is a command that Jesus gives us.

There are three aspects of seeking first that we will explore in three parts: Relationship, Kingdom and Righteousness. ‘Seek first’ means that we will place the highest value on our personal relationship with Jesus. Our relationship with God will be above all other agendas and distractions in this life. When we place the highest priority on our relationship with Christ we will not establish a lifestyle pattern that values work, the pursuit of wealth, or recreational activities over spending time in His Word and in worship. When we seek first we choose to balance our lifestyle such that we are not too tired or our schedules too full so as to prevent spending quiet time in prayer and in the Word every day.

Far too many of us seek to add days to our life on earth whereas it is far better to have added life to our days by having prioritized our personal relationship with Jesus during our time on earth. It is the fullness of the Deity of Christ dwelling in us that dispels fear and worry and gives us power for living. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him… (Colossians 2:9-10)

What do you seek first in your life? Is it money, power, position, recreation? When under stress do you rely on Him first or seek comfort through an addiction – food, alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs? Do you have your priorities out of order and seek the blessings of God first without giving a second thought to your personal relationship with Him? Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8) How does one draw near to God and build a personal relationship with Him? Begin by resolving today to make a radical change in your priorities. Conduct your own personal revolution to dethrone the false ‘gods’ that you have served first. Get to know and trust in God through prayer, praise, worship and the daily reading of His Word. Be aware of His presence with you and in you wherever you are, whether at work, home or play.

May you actively seek Him first and enjoy the freedom, peace and joy that come from the Lord’s presence in your heart. May your personal relationship with Jesus add the impact of His life to your days and be a blessing to others.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Making a Difference #872

Posted on November 3, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 872

 “Making a Difference”

foundationsIf the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)

Picture your face in the mirror. Now imagine how your face would look if your bone structure were changed, modified, or missing altogether. It is the underlying bone infrastructure that provides the foundation for your characteristic appearance. Similarly, our society’s culture and character is defined and shaped by its infrastructure – the ‘bones of our culture’ if you will.

There are seven interdependent structural elements that largely define our culture and sadly, they are being destroyed. The Psalmist asks a pointed question: “…what can the righteous do?” The circumstances seem insurmountable and impossible to change but that is a lie of the enemy to discourage you. We can all positively impact our culture beginning with our personal sphere of influence making a difference in the lives of one person at a time. Collectively, as the Body of Christ we can make a difference in our society. The seven areas we can impact are as follows:

Church: Stop merely going to church and be the church. You are salt and light. Salt must be poured out and light must be shined in the world and not hidden behind the walls of a steeple-roofed building. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Government: Don’t give apathy a foothold and vote. Vote biblical values. Make your collective voice heard. Be involved. If called to lead and serve then do so with integrity and the evidence of the character of Christ which is the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)

Education: Be involved in your children’s education – every day. Let your voice be heard on the curriculum changes that promote anti-Christian thought and seeks to indoctrinate our children in secular humanistic doctrine. (Proverbs 22:6)

Arts & Entertainment: Create change by withholding financial support of the garbage that is thrust upon our society. Influence your family by what you allow to be piped into your home. (Proverbs 4:23)

Business & Industry: Be salt and light in your place of work. (Colossians 3:23) Promote biblical values by choosing carefully where you shop. Make your voice heard – social media is a powerful tool to affect positive change in business practices. (Jeremiah 17:11)

Information Media: Don’t be duped and misinformed by carefully spun media sound bites. Prayerfully seek to discern the truth and act accordingly. (Philippians 1:9-10)

Families: This is our immediate sphere of influence and a hinge pin of our society. Is it any surprise then that the family unit is the center of attack by satan? Marriage is being redefined as well as what constitutes a family. Divorce has fragmented much of the backbone of our society. Fight to protect the spiritual and physical integrity of your family. Make your house a home. Make it a safe place where the love and presence of God abides. (Joshua 24:15)

May you rise up, empowered by the Holy Spirit and say ‘Enough!’ May you take authority in the Name of Jesus and choose to make a difference in changing our culture along these seven areas of influence as the Lord provides you with divine appointments and an opportunity to do so. These dry bones shall live in the Name of Jesus!

…O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live…and you shall know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:3-6)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Kneel Under Pressure #871

Posted on October 27, 2013 by ron021950

Pray Week 871

“Kneel Under Pressure”

kneel…We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure… (2 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV))

Many of us are going through, or know someone who is going through some very trying times. It may be burdens in our families and personal life or it may be difficulties stemming from business and economic pressures. No matter the source of the difficulty, many are nonetheless ‘under great pressure, far beyond their ability to endure’.

It is in my nature to ‘fix’ things and I find it frustrating that I cannot ‘fix’ my own pressure circumstances let alone immediately alleviate the pressures that others are enduring. We sometimes talk about being under great pressure as Paul wrote and we use the phrase ‘it brought me to my knees’. In a way, being brought to our knees at such moments in our life is a good thing. It is from that humble posture and perspective that we call out to God in praise and worship. That is when the God of all comfort will ‘come near’ and comfort us as only He can. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Notice the following from 2 Corinthians 1:3-11:

God is the source of our comfort when we are burdened. (v4)

God uses trials that we cannot fix on our own to teach us to rely on Him and not on our abilities or on the abilities of others. (v9)

God allows us to be afflicted so that He may comfort others through us. (v6) People find it difficult to accept comfort from those who have not experienced trials themselves. Having gone through it by the grace, mercy and power of God we can better relate and offer hope to others in His Name.

God continually delivers us through our trials. (v10) Our hope must always be in Him.

Prayer is an effective help and blessing for those who are burdened. (v11) Prayers lifted up on behalf of others are a powerful weapon against the enemy who seeks to discourage the burdened and steal their hope. Never underestimate the power of ‘prayer cover’ for those who are at their most vulnerable moments of despair and sorrow.

If you are being brought to your knees under the pressure of life, call out to God and know that He will be there to wrap you in His love, mercy, peace and comfort. May you rest in the hope and assurance that He will deliver you and that your trial is only for a season – for His good purpose to bless you and to bless others.

Do not neglect to be Christ to those who are burdened beyond their ability to endure. Our human tendency is to ignore and shy away from them as if their trial were a contagious disease. In our busy society we move so fast and our agendas are so packed out that it becomes a bother to take the time to encourage someone in the Lord. (Hebrews 13:3)

As Christians we must not selfishly withhold the good of the Lord. (Proverbs 3:27) If you know someone going through a difficult time be there for them and bring them the comfort that the Lord has brought you. Make room in your prayer time for intercessory prayers for those you know who are in need of God’s comfort and deliverance.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Lifter of My Head #870

Posted on October 20, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 870

“Lifter of My Head”

lifterBut you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. (Psalm 3:3)

Where has the reverential fear of the Lord gone in our society? His Holy Name is used in vain in prime time entertainment – often in a derogatory manner. Almighty God is flippantly referred to as ‘the man upstairs’ or as ‘my copilot’. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God… (Romans 1:21)

Our worship of Him has largely been reduced to mere ritual and tradition while our prayers treat Him as a magic genie blessing machine. This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:8-9)

When Moses first encountered God at the burning bush (Exodus 3:6) he hid his face and was instructed to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. In the presence of Almighty God, Moses was repentant before Him. Throughout Scripture we see people who encounter the presence of God fall on their faces in repentance, worship and awe. …let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe… (Hebrews 12:28)

Jesus taught a parable about a tax collector and a Pharisee who both went to the temple to pray. (Luke 18:9-14) The Pharisee prayed in self-righteous pride with his head lifted high. The tax collector could not lift up his eyes and prayed humbly before God seeking forgiveness for his sin. The tax collector is the one who went home justified before God. do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck. (Psalm 75:5)

The truth is that our righteousness does not come from our good works. Our righteousness comes through the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. In the presence of God we are to remain humble and repentant. It is Jesus who lifts up our head and justifies us before Father God which He cannot do if we approach God with heads already lifted high in self-righteous pride.

May you remain humble and repentant before God. May you revere Him and remain in awe of Him – never taking Him for granted. May you press through all the junk of this world and enter into true worship of Him. May the Lord be your shield, your glory and the lifter of your head.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! (Psalm 111:10)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – A Letter from Christ #869

Posted on October 14, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 869

“A Letter from Christ”

letterfromChrist2-1-1…you are a letter from Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3)

A coworker mistakenly thought that my department would be a good place to ‘hide out’ and wait out the clock until closing time the other night. He left after I explained to him how his actions constituted theft of time. Sadly, this coworker is one that proclaims his Christian faith to others. What do others think when they compare his words to his actions? How does his ‘letter from Christ’ read to his coworkers and employer?

It is interesting to note how employees disciplined or terminated for such actions become angry with their employer for holding them accountable. In a high accountability work environment where terminations occur it is surprisingly easy for other employees to become concerned and fearful for their jobs. God’s Word provides wisdom and guidance for His children in the workplace that we should all take heed of.

First, don’t be counted among the wicked. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence… (Proverbs 3:25) Serve the authorities over you as you would serve Jesus. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3:23).

Second, make your work ethic – your character a letter from Christ. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4). Let’s unpack this proverb.

The term ‘steadfast love’ is from the Hebrew ‘chesed’ which conveys the twin ideas of love and loyalty. The Word of God exhorts us to never let them go. To bind them is to intertwine and weave them together. The idea of wearing them around our neck is to make them a visible and treasured part of our character. The binding of love and loyalty is a testimony to the abiding presence of God in us. …God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (1 John 4:16)

God’s Word exhorts us to go further and to ‘write them on the tablet of our heart’. This is not a pen and paper type of writing. This conveys the idea of engraving and carving in stone. Our ‘heart’ is our center of emotional, intellectual, and moral activity. Love and loyalty and faithfulness are to be permanently engraved into the character of our moral center. We must not act one way when the boss is looking and another way when they are not. We must be ‘rock-solid’ in the integrity of our character and work ethic.

May your letter from Christ read true. May you find favor and a good repute in the sight of God and man. May the abiding presence of God in your heart drive out all fear and give you peace.

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Why? #868

Posted on October 6, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 868

 “Why”

…but God meant it for good… (Genesis 50:20)

why question in metal type

Have you ever gone through an extended trial and wondered ‘Why God?’ Perhaps your health is suffering and the doctors are baffled by it. It could be that you have experienced loss – of loved ones, a job, home, or finances. Regardless of the circumstances, you begin to wonder why God is punishing you. You are counseled by well-meaning friends and family to ‘Get right with God and stop sinning’ but you are not sure what that entails or means. Such counsel only frustrates you to the point of despair. Your best counsel is found in the Word of God.

First and foremost we must understand that as a born-again, child of God, His Word tells us that all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28-30) This promise is not for the lost nor is it for the card-carrying religious who are ‘Christian’ in name only having a social club relationship with a denomination and whose hearts are far from God. This promise is for His children who have a personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. If there is any truth in the exhortation to get right with God, it is through repentance and receiving forgiveness for our sins through Jesus as our Lord and Savior. (Romans 8:1)

Secondly, we must understand from God’s Word the difference between God’s punishment, discipline, and sovereign purpose. As a child of God we are not punished for our sins – Jesus paid that price once and for all time when He bore our sins on the cross. (1 Peter 2:24) There are however natural consequences for our sins. I may end up in prison for having committed a crime. I may suffer health issues for having lived an ‘at-risk’ lifestyle in the past. These are consequences and not to be confused as punishment from God.

However, God does discipline His children as any good father does. Jonah was disciplined by God. As we grow in our relationship with God, the Holy Spirit reveals to us the need to remove obstacles that hinder our walk with Him. Sometimes we choose to ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit and stubbornly refuse to let go of what has become an idol before Him. God loves us enough to discipline us for our stubbornness.

Job and Joseph were not disciplined but rather suffered trials to fulfill God’s sovereign purpose and plan. Many of us go through a difficult or trying period in our lives and immediately question God. We wonder why God would allow us to have such difficulty. We gripe, whine, complain, and question God’s love for us. We reserve thanksgiving and praise for the times when we get what we want – when things are ‘going our way’.

One thing remains certain for the child of God: God loves them more than can be measured. (Psalm 108:4) May you rejoice in His discipline (Hebrews 12:7-11) and in the trials that He allows to come your way. (James 1:2-5) May you trust in His plans to prosper you and to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) May you endure the trials of this life maintaining an eternal perspective with your eyes and mind stayed on Him. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:25, 26)

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B2B Concert of Prayer – Reach and Preach #867

Posted on September 29, 2013 by ron021950

CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 867

“Reach and Preach”

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… (Matthew 28:19)

————————————————————-

lifestyle-evangelismAll born-again Christians have been commissioned to reach the lost for Christ. While we are not all called to preach at evangelistic crusades, we are however called to live an evangelistic lifestyle.

Every day we cross paths with people who need salvation – people who need Jesus. They are in need of truth and have been exposed to those who professing Christianity with their words, live out an opposite lifestyle example. Consequently, many of these people have been ‘turned off’ to the Gospel message by their encounters with the hypocritical religious among us.

We must reach people first before we can preach to them the truth of God’s Word. We reach people through a personal relationship whether it is in the work or family context or in the context of our neighborhoods, the local health club, or community sports and other recreation activities. It has been said that people don’t care what you know until they know that you care. Some important points to consider are:

We have to be less concerned with our story and more concerned with listening and empathizing with their story. Through active listening we come to understand their precise area of need to which we can speak the healing balm of God’s Word when the time comes.

God will bring people across our path that we may not like. On more than one occasion I have had to repent of my critical attitude toward some people that the Lord eventually brought across my path ready to receive the truth of the Gospel. We need to see all people we encounter through His eyes of love.

It may take years of a casual relationship before God opens the door of their heart to receive the truth of His Word.

Throughout your relationship your actions and reactions to day-to-day life circumstances are testifying to the integrity of the truth of God’s Word. Your lifestyle is preaching the Gospel when your lifestyle practices the presence of Jesus in your heart.

We must be ready to speak the Truth of the Word of God when the time comes. (1 Peter 3:15) If we are immersed in the same secular worldview as those we are trying to reach we will not be able to effectively speak with an understanding of the application of a Biblical worldview to everyday life circumstances. (2 Timothy 3:16) If we are serious about our commission of God we will invest time in the reading and study and application of God’s Word.

We must be standing on the solid rock of the Living Word of God in order to reach out and grasp the hand of those who are mired in the quicksand of the world. In addition, the integrity of the evidence of the power of Christ in us through our pre-established relationship allows those who are perishing in the quicksand to trust in the truth of God’s Word and to reach out and grasp our hand when it is offered.

May the Holy Spirit quicken your heart to reach the lost for Christ. May you have a hunger for more of His Word – to understand it and apply it. May you see all people through Jesus’ eyes of love and may your lifestyle preach the truth and integrity of the Gospel.

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