SALVATION IS OFFERED BUT MUST BE RECEIVED

  John 3:17-18  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (NIV) Despite all the wickedness in the world, God loves everybody. That is why He sent Jesus. The arrival of Jesus, His life and ministry, was not to condemn people who were wicked, but to enable wicked people to be saved. Although God will not tolerate sin, He has compassion on every sinner and wants everyone to turn from their self-centred ways and be saved (2 Peter 3:9).   God is not sentimental. He knows the truth about each of us; He knows how self-obsessed we are. He has provided the only way to be released from condemnation and that is by trusting in God’s one and only Son. But we are not born with faith in Christ, we are born in sin; and so sinfulness is natural in every human being (Psalm 51:5 ). Therefore everybody in the world is under God’s wrath until they trust in Jesus (Colossians 3:5-6 ). Today’s verses are important because they remind us that those who do nothing about Christ, remain under God’s wrath and are already condemned. However, those who turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith are saved.   The world comprises two sorts of people: those who have not believed in Jesus, who are already condemned; and those who have believed in Jesus (trusting that their sin was condemned in Christ when He died on the cross). That is true whatever culture, education or religious background they have come from. Jesus did not recommend that people tried harder to be good, gave more to the poor, or pray more energetically; He simply told Nicodemus that He must be born again (John 3:7 ). That is true for everybody. So, if you know you are saved, then you need to see people through different, non-worldly eyes (2 Corinthians 5:16). Seeing them as God sees them and knowing that lost people matter to God, is the springboard for evangelism. All those who are outside of Christ need to come to Him while there is time, and often their best way of knowing, is by you telling them! Perhaps start by showing them www.crosscheck.org.uk .   Prayer:  God of truth and love. I am glad that You see everything as it truly is; that You condemn sin, but choose to save sinners who trust Jesus. I am sorry for ignoring the perilous condition of my friends and colleagues forgetting that You love them and want to release them from all condemnation - if only they will put their trust in Christ. Please help me to see people through Your eyes, to love people for Your sake and explain the Gospel to all who will listen. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

WASHED, REBORN, RENEWED, JUSTIFIED AND INHERITING

Word@Work from BeaconLight   Monday, April 30, 2012   WASHED, REBORN, RENEWED, JUSTIFIED AND INHERITING   Titus 3:5b-7  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (NIV)   Salvation is not a business deal where the profit is gained by buying at the lowest cost and selling at the highest price. It is true that we have been redeemed; bought back from the power of Satan: but that was the most expensive purchase in history. The life of the Son of God was exchanged for sinful people who could add no value to His kingdom. Salvation is a supreme act of grace on God's part, paying the highest price for the lowest value. Yet to us who are saved, the benefit is overwhelmingly large.   To become a Christian is not like joining a club or having a cultural experience: it is to be radically transformed. To be saved is to be washed clean; to be made pure and totally free from the filth of the world. To be saved is to be born again, having a new Father, a new identity and a new family. To be saved is to be made new on the inside with a new set of appetites and desires because the Holy Spirit of God has agreed to come to us and fill our personal space. To be saved is to receive the extravagant generosity of God. To be saved is to have all our sins taken away by Jesus so that we are declared 'not guilty' in the court of heaven. To be saved is to become an inheritor of heaven itself. So to be saved is to live with a confidence that all God has started in us will be completed when Jesus comes again. Wow!   So why does fear confuse our hearts, or the lust for fading pleasures promote foolish ambitions? It is because we have forgotten the greatness of our salvation. We have presumed upon our privileges as children of God but have forgotten the cost to Him and the value to us. It is time for God's people to wake up to the enormous value which God has placed upon us, and how much He has done for us. When we start to appreciate all that we have been given through Christ's sacrifice, we will learn to worship with our whole lives. Then we will witness gladly with our whole hearts and serve with everything we have. There will not be an 'ordinary day at the office' or 'routine in the factory' or 'crisis with the accounts' or 'confusion of purpose' ... instead we will see ourselves as children of a loving Father, servants of the King, ambassadors of the Kingdom and inheritors of heaven. All this is because we have been washed, reborn, renewed and justified! How great is the salvation we have received! Let us honour the One who has saved us as we live today.   Prayer:  Almighty God. Thank You for saving me! Thank You also for this reminder of all that I have received in Christ, by His death and through the Holy Spirit who lives in me. I am sorry for treating You casually or as a routine part of my life, instead of valuing what You have given me and giving You thanks. Help me to worship You today with all I have. I want my body to serve You, my mind to think rightly, my words to be truthful. I want to use my energy and my money to Your glory. Please help me to be Your ambassador in my workplace and community, praising You with a joyful heart because of all You have done for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.   from Word@Work from BeaconLight

The Seven Habits of the Highly Ineffective Pastor

The Seven Habits of the Highly Ineffective Pastor By Author Unknown What would an ineffective pastor look like? Here are seven habits of highly ineffective pastors and how you can avoid them. 1. Be reactive. Effective people are proactive. They take responsibility for their lives and aren't swayed by their physical or social environments. Being proactive means responding by choices and values, not by emotions or circumstances. 2. Focus only on short-term results. A good habit says, "Begin with the end in mind." This attitude will help you keep a heavenly perspective throughout your day-to-day work. Do the least important thing first. An effective pastor will look at all the things in his or her life and prioritize them. The people or items at the top of that list will receive the pastor's first and best attention. 3. Think win/lose. Truly effective pastors will look for win/win solutions. They find agreements that benefit and satisfy everyone involved. This principle is especially valuable with staff and volunteers. 4. Seek first to be understood, then to understand. The best way to help people and run ministry effectively is by listening - actively, empathetically, and completely - before rushing to find a solution. 5. Keep working until your saw is so dull it couldn't cut butter. To be an effective pastor and person, you need to keep a balance between the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life. Stopping occasionally to "sharpen your saw" will allow you to work more quickly and efficiently without wearing you down. 6. You only need to change one area of your life. Effective people know that all of these ideas work in balance together to create a synergized life.   From: Preach it newsletter (www. Preachit.org)

In hard Times and bitterness We should stay sweet

There is a truth we can learn from the Biblical character Naomi. First we learn how to endure bitterness but remain sweet.

It would be great if life was a bowl of cherries, mostly sweet with a few pits; but the reality is that life often deals us a few lemons.

The challenge is to endure life’s lemons without losing our own sense of sweetness. In the bible Naomi had to deal with a number of bitter situations that included death, poverty, and hard times. They seem to come one after the other. No sooner than she could overcome one, others came.

At one point she almost became spiritually bitter. Somehow she continued to do sweet things. She worked and helped others. Hundreds of kindnesses she displayed made it clear that she was the sweet woman everyone knew, despite her difficulties.

We should be the same, when we endure life’s bitter moments and experience sickness, death and despair. We should resist the temptation to become bitter and angry with the world. Yes, we should continue to help others, counsel, assist the hurting and to bring sweetness to others.

We should endure the bitterness that life gives us but remain a sweet savor for all who know us.