Words for Life Articles

GO TO THE HIGHWAYS

We must never put the benefits of the cross before HIS MISSION. Yes, the benefits are essential, but not as important as the mission.

The mission must always be in the forefront of our Christianity. When Jesus rose from the dead, He gave power, He gave authority to His disciples and then commanded His disciples to

“GO”

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 GO therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Amen.

Jesus said to His disciples, the harvest is in indeed plentiful, but the labourers are few. (Matthew 9:37)

We need labourers in the harvest field, if we are to reach the lost, we need labourers with the heart of Christ. Labourers who know the cry of God’s heart.

John 20:21

As the father has sent me, I also send you.”

5 WAYS TO REACH THE LOST.

1. COMPASSION

We need to start from a place of compassion for the lost. How compassionate are you for the lost? What is compassion? Compassion is having sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others: To have compassion for the lost is emulating Jesus.

In Matthew 9:35-36

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

How do you see the lost? Jesus saw them as sheep without shepherds and had compassion for them.

In today’s Christianity, we have unwittingly replaced Jesus Christ, the Son of David with our idols.

Yet Jesus said in John 16:13-14 said

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

He will glorify ME; He will glorify Jesus and Jesus alone.

Today as I look around, I see how much the focus has shifted from Christ Jesus to everything else but Him. Men of God, seminars, Prayer summits, conferences, worship leaders and our favourite songs have all taken pre-eminence.

Colossians 1:17-18

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence.

“It is not happiness that brings us gratitude. It is gratitude that brings us happiness.”

A grateful man or woman is bound to be content in God.

A grateful attitude towards God is essential to our contentment in Him, not just for the blessings He bestows on us, but for who God is. It is very essential for us to be satisfied with who God is, who He has created us to be.

The minute we cast our eyes off Him and focus on anything contrary to His face, we will become anxious, envious and discontent. In our discontent, we become ungrateful to Him.

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT GRATITUDE AND ANXIETY CANNOT CO-EXIST IN THE BRAIN.

 You cannot be a grateful person and be discontent at the same time.

A grateful person walks in confidence and contentment.

An ungrateful person is always, angry, anxious and envious.

 PAUL PUTS IT THIS WAY

Philippians 4:6-8

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

That is WITH GRATITUDE

let your requests be made known to God.

 Key Scriptures:

John 4: 42

⁴² Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

1 John 4: 14

¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

Matthew 3:11 

¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Mark 1:8

⁸ I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Through the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father has provided the whole world the entire package of Salvation and Eternal Life. 

Jesus Christ - Savior (Romans 10:9)

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ephesians 6:10-13

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The Christian journey is a journey of faith and adventure, which includes spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is the Christian concept of fighting against the evil forces in spiritual places, pulling down strongholds and occupying till Jesus returns.

The Christian therefore must learn to always have their armour on as a good soldier and remember that Jesus is our commanding officer, and we fight according to His rules.

Our battle is not against people, please note. There are times it feels as though the people around us are the enemies. The truth is that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against unseen powers and principalities that operate through the human flesh. These powers cannot operate on their own but look for bodies to operate through. 

The word Holiness for years has struck a chord of fear, of impossibilities in many Christians. To some the word Holiness is unattainable, and some see it as legalism based on their experience.

I am always challenged by scripture and what it represents. Therefore, based on scripture, I do not see Holiness as anything other than what God is calling the Church to. He who has called us is able to complete what He began.

Hebrews 12:14

14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

I believe that all believing Christians have all been called to a lifestyle of Holiness. Not just called to Holiness but to PURSUE HOLINESS. To strive towards Holiness. This is a call to the Church, to push towards peace with all men AND to live a life of Holiness without which no one can see God.

Paul puts it this way in 1 Thessalonians 4:7

7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.

In Ephesians 1:4

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,