“CELEBRATING!”

Me-Maw Thoughts

Number 598

September 27, 2022///

Sunday we will be celebrating Joshua’s Place (the church we are part of) Twenty-Two-Year anniversary.

We celebrate birthdays, marriages, graduations, births, sports team wins, and many other various things.

May I say that heaven is glad when we are happy, gather with others, etc., but what heaven celebrates and the angels rejoice about is when one person comes to realize who Jesus is, and the price He paid for us on the cross, and receives it!

Jesus tells us about that rejoicing twice in one chapter of Luke!

Luke 15:7 (KJV)
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,

Luke 15:10 (KJV)
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

The wisdom book, Proverbs tells us over and over again that true wisdom comes from the Father, Creator God, Lord of all!

In Proverbs 11 we are told one way we show we are wise!

Proverbs 11:30 (KJV)
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

What just came to your mind when you read “He that is winning souls show you are wise”?

Did some of these thoughts immediately come to you:

• I cannot go on a mission trip to wind souls!
• I work every day and have a family to care for, how can I go to help at a homeless shelter or do street ministry!
• I am shy and just cannot start telling people how bad they need Jesus!
• I am a failure in that area because I do not want to make people mad!
• My fellow workers or neighbors will think I am crazy if I start talking about hell and heaven, the devil vs Jesus!
• I am not a preacher, nor do I have a voice to sing the gospel!
• These thoughts can go on and on because the enemy of all that is good will supply them.

How did we get so wrong in our thinking about evangelism.

Yes, there are those called to preach, those called to sing, to go to the prisoner, or to the homeless or to the streets. Some are called to go around the world through mission and some are called to send those and pray for them.

But we are all called to share, and that puts fear in some who think of the recognized evangelistic outreaches as the ways to win souls.

We are influencing people daily with our lives. The way we live, love, and respond to situations shows a person who is depending on the world’s wisdom, the wisdom from God above.

We need to just walk every day in fellowship with the Father and being so full of love for Jesus that we shine for Him in our homes, our neighborhoods and our work or ministry places.

Love people! Began to be friendly and talk to them and live before them.

Read the story in John chapter four starting with verse one about Jesus and the women and the well. Also read in Luke chapter 10 starting at verse 30 about the one we call the good Samaritan!

Both of these give us examples of evangelism. Jesus began talking to the women at the well about water, which she knew about. She was there to draw from it. But he brought the conversation around to what she really needed. The good Samaritan shows us that just reaching out and caring is showing Jesus!

I want to stress to you that some are to go, some are to be, but all should be letting the Love of Jesus flow out from them. In each season of life our evangelism will look different!  We should not fret about it, nor think we have to check off our sharing endeavors on a list.

There is so much more to say on this, but I will just say that the main thing is that we have a living, loving relationship with Jesus and the rest will flow.

I encourage you to start everyday with asking the Father to help you walk that day with the Love of Jesus flowing through your mouth, hands, feet, attitude, and actions.  Then go forth with your day just Loving Jesus and others.

Father, help each of us to walk each day in the place we are, showing Love through our very being and caring. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Live through us, Love through us, touch through us! Amen

Love, MeMaw