On Fire

A Purpose Driven Life

I have been taking a class with Shane Spannagel and reflecting on my own past experiences about sharing the good news that God loves people and wants to help people experience wholeness and fullness of life as He originally created it to be. It is not God's desire that people suffer without hope and die physically to experience an eternity of torment in a place of darkness apart from Him outside of heaven. This reality of being separated from God is what our ancestors chose for us when they rejected a relationship with God and we experience this separation from God because of the human condition of self-centeredness (sin) that we inherit. Read here for what God desires for people.

I have been processing the passive tendency I have observed in some who wait for God to "speak to them" about sharing about Christ's love. Do we need to sit around and wait for God to tell us to go teach people about who He is or has God already told us and doesn't need to repeat the command? Matthew 28:18-20. What we need to ask is who do you want us to help today and go with a listening ear for God to direct us in the going?

Whenever I have sought the Lord for opportunities to share the good news, He has always provided them. Why? Because God loves people and it is his will for us to "seek and save the lost" just like Jesus did. Jesus lives in us through the Spirit of God and Jesus is intentional about reaching out to those who need God. We also need to be intentional and plan for time to share God's love with people through words of hope and actions of helping meet genuine needs.

What you plan for, you will do. We plan to make time to pray and read the Bible, why don’t we plan to share the message of hope. Is it less spiritual to plan to share with people than to plan to have time to meet with God or to serve others in ministry? We plan to teach every Sunday and ask that the Spirit of God will lead us in what to teach, therefore we should also plan to reach out and help people who need the hope and help that Jesus is offering them asking God to direct us to those who most need that today.

Faith equals action. If you believe something you will do it. If you truly believe Jesus is continuing his work to rescue the lost world through his body, the church, then you will start acting in ways that anticipate that will happen. It has always been my experience that God give opportunities and saves people when I actively seek the opportunities to share the gospel. Why? Because god loves people and wants them to go to heaven. That's why he sent his Son to die on a cross in order to take away the sins of the world.

Labels: Jesus, Priorities

posted by mcolebank @ 8:12 AM