Washed by the water

Today's thought is taken from Eph 5:26 "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word".


  I know this verse is used in weddings and as a description about God's church but there is also a deeper principle that is sometimes overlooked. That principle is that God's word has the ability to cleanse. Most importantly, it has the ability to cleanse the inside as well as the outside!
  People who do not live for God will become tainted by this world and its ideologies. Basically it makes them dirty. Their minds and souls are deeply affected. Many times folks won't be able to describe their need but the truth is they are unclean. This uncleanness causes much discomfort and will even effect behavior and demeanor.
  Have you ever worked really hard on a hot day, sweating profusely? By the end of the day you feel downright disgusting and want nothing more than a shower to rid yourself of the filth and stench. In this situation both the problem and the solution are easy to recognize. Spiritual filthiness isn't as easy to recognize, especially if the dirty person is surrounded by multitudes of other dirty people.
   This is where you and the Word come in. God's word has been given to us, like a soapy sponge. Sometimes the person will take the sponge out of our hand and use it themselves but many times we have to apply the sponge for them. This is one of the many powers of His word. It has the ability to wash away the filth of ungodliness from a soul. It brings a fresh sweetness to the soul, regardless of its current eternal condition. They may not be ready to fully remedy the need of their soul, but they will always want some kind of relief; albeit temporary. This is why so many turn to coping mechanisms like drugs, sex, and alcohol.
 

Overcome by your testimony

I know I have said this several times over the past couple of years but I am not sure I have mentioned it in this blog. Sis Ranelle's latest post only awakened that inspiration within me again. The most important tool you have to witness with is your personal testimony.


You can obtain lots of biblical, historical, archeological, and scientific facts but they are useless without a testimony. People want to hear from real people who have faced real situations, and experienced real success. That is the bottom line.


Have you ever wondered why professional athletes make so much in endorsements? Kobe Bryant made over 40 million last year, just in endorsements! Here it is written out $40,000,000.00 so you can understand the impact of a testimony. That is nearly $110,000.00 a day and over $4,500.00 an hour.


I think this thought will prove to be a double blessing for you. The next time you face some tough  times or feel like God is gone, remember that you are facing this so that you might grow spiritually and so that you will have something to testify about.


Any stories of how you have shared your testimony? How about reactions you have experienced about your testimony?

Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power

Today's nugget of truth is taken from I Corinthians 2:1-5. In this text, Paul is explaining how we are to be when dealing with those we are trying to help. Far too often we limit God because of tendency to rely upon our natural skill, abilities, and thoughts.

When working for the Kingdom, it is important to realize that the Power to convince and convert comes from His Spirit and not from our abilities. The end result is a person with their faith and devotion centered in Christ(verse 5) which leads a person to truly being grounded. If they are persuaded by our personality or words this will lead to their divided kingdoom. (Mark 3:35).

Salvation has always been and will always be about men wholly worshipping God in Spirit and in truth. It is not about men worshipping other men. It isn't about your abilities or lack thereof. It isn't about what you know about God and the finer points of His doctrine. Paul simply states that it is about Jesus Christ and His crucifixion.

Truly, sometimes less is more and more is less.

Optimism

I am scurrying to sunday school as I write this but wanted to take a moment and post some thoughts in hopes of genrating some thought/input.

How would you define optimism?

What is its role/function when working with a lost or damaged soul?

What kind of power does it have?

I llok forward to reading some thoughts and possibly testimonies; SOON

The Importance of Follow Up

It has been a long time since the last post and I have been extremely busy in that time. This post will be concise and a little "light" on the scripture references because I want to get something up that will help equip you as well as spark thought/discussion.

When it comes to gospel work you can not under estimate teh power of following up. Too many times people say, "I will......" only to never be heard from again. If you really want to impact a person, to really show them what God is like, then check back in with them regarding what you have discussed in the past.

Think about how encouraging it is when the Lord "revisits" what you told Him in prayer some time in the past. How good does it feel when someone remembers something you said and brings it back up months later? I could list more examples but I think you understand what I am suggesting.

One way to convey faith to the faithless is to check back with them, if God allows the opportunity. It indirectly communicates a genuine concern and compassion that the world knows far too little about. This is especially effective when you tell someone that you will pray for their situation. When you check back in to see how God is working, they are faced with the reality that you really believe in God and His ability/desire to work in that person's behalf.

Thoughts?