You Are Lost!!!

“If I'm ever given an opportunity to return to the earth, I will never fail to let anyone who is not saved, know that they are as good as lost already!” The man sobbed, as he continued, "I was thinking that ‘Life is beautiful’ because I had virtually everything I needed at my beck and call! I jeered, booed and mocked at them Christians, thinking that they were foolish!

Haa! If anyone had told me that I was suffering, miserable and a living-dead, I would have laughed out at my heart! Alas, I never knew that I was actually suffering indeed!” His audience were busy nursing their pains with screams or gnashing of teeth, or with intense scratching of their bodies, out of pain, despair and anguish of anger at themselves!

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The greatest realization a man awakes to is that life outside of Christ is “condemned already!” When this realization dawns on a man, he is either saved or he is a reprobate! Those who are "lost" are not necessarily the destitute on our street corners and under the bridges of our major roads; Those who are 'lost' are not just those announced in the news or media as wanted and missing. These ones are probably lost but the essential hallmark of “the lost” is simply that they are without a savior and a Lord in Jesus Christ!

This definition of the Lost, which is true, leaves much to be desired! Because ‘the Lost’ are all around us -in the churches, in the markets, in the offices, in politics, in civil services, in government, in schools, in hospitals, on the roads, etc. The only thing God focuses on today is the business of Finding & Saving the lost! On God's priority list, his number – one concern is finding the lost! His second, is finding the lost! His third, is finding the lost!! His fourth is still finding the lost! And by now you should know the fifth up till the last!

If any man be in Christ and has no compassion for lost souls, has no contribution to finding the lost, He is a liar! He's not in Christ! He too is lost! And should be found! God had only one son, and He made Him a soul winner of soul winners! If you are not one of them, You Are Lost!!!

Underwater Ceramic Technician

I read from Our Daily Bread Devotional this morning about job titles. The one I can’t forget in a hurry is the Underwater Ceramic Technician (i.e. a person who washes dishes at a restaurant). Others include Transparency Enhancement Facilitator – person that cleans windows, Media Distribution Officer – newspaper vendor, Environmental Hygienist – a street sweeper. A big name for a not so big role, right?

Most times people don’t think their role/job is good enough until it has the important-sounding title. What is of primary importance is the purpose for the role and what we set out to accomplish. It matters little what title we hold. All the parts of the body are necessary for the body to function properly. No part is better than another though it be prominent or not.

These gifts and abilities are for …the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for edifying the body of Christ, till we all come to the unit of the faith. (Eph. 4;12-13). We should never minimize the importance of our attitude toward temporary, earthly things. It is easy and quit tempting, to spend far too much time and energy pursuing the wealth of this world. In the light of eternity, a life spent on serving material wealth amounts to a wasted life.

How do you view your possessions, money, accesses, knowledge, abilities and pursuits? Consider them closely and honestly, then ask these serious questions: does my attitude about these things place them ahead of my relationship with God? Will my pursuit of these things bring glory or shame to God? Is God applauding my approach to acquiring these possessions? Does my pursuit of material things compromise my pursuit of God? How have I used these …for the edifying of the body of Christ?

For a steward (which everyone alive is), everything we are just caretakers of what has been given to us to look after - possessions, money, accesses, knowledge, abilities, pursuits, etc. We should regard all the resources we possess to be things God allows us to have. God owns everything; we are simply managers in this world. Rather than squared and be selfish with them, faithful stewards seek to use them wisely. We are required to keep in view that this is not our wealth, but God’s.

Make your love for God and pursuit of His kingdom the top priority. And in all other priorities, see yourself not as a possessor of things but as a steward of those things. A commitment to the attitude of a steward will bring us a sense of joy and purpose for our possessions. It should instill a feeling of peace and contentment into our minds. 

Success Secrets of Prayer

I got admitted into the University, I made up my mind that I do not want to accommodate squatters (and of course, I prayed never to be one myself). However, when I got to my third year, it began to dawn on me that keeping up with my “policy of no squatters” was getting increasingly difficult.

The university, generally, had a policy of providing a hostel accommodation to the first and final year students, amongst other special cases. Nevertheless, often times, even the first and final year students don’t get to secure an accommodation space for various reasons.

It was during this time, that one of my very good friends approached me for help. He had been unable to secure an accommodation space. He wanted to put up with me –the very thing I had always dreaded. At this moment, I had to choose between letting my policy to suffer and letting my friendship to suffer. Which was I to choose?

The backbone of prayer is faith and friendship with Jesus! Friendship with Jesus is key! Friends are mindful of pleasing each other. When we ask a favour from a dear friend, we usually expect a positive response—notwithstanding how difficult it might actually be for our friend to please us. Faith, on the other hand, is a function of trust. We trust that our friend, if he is truly one, will not let us down.

When we have such working friendship with Christ, we expect that as long as we are in his will, he hears us when we pray! That’s faith! And also our friendship with Christ compels us to come boldly to God in prayer! In the story of the man who had a late night visitor (Luke 111:5-9), it was his friendship with His neighbour that made the neighbour unable to turn him down! And also his faith (i.e. persistence) made his neighbour, leave the bed where he was, with his wife, to the kitchen to attend to his knocking friend at his door!

Most times, Patience and perseverance in our petition-making to God is the clearest manifestation of faith! Importunity is the verb form of Faith! And of the two lessons, Faith can be more forceful than friendship! It was faith or importunity of the widow, which “coerced” the unjust judge into granting the widow’s petition. Though God is never unjust, our daring faith will often be called upon if we are to get our needs met in prayer!

When my friend made his request to squat with me, I could have easily turned any other person down, but not him! So God is our friend! He is not like the unjust judge. So if I, being evil, but for friendship sake, could drop my policy, how much more God, who is just grant our request especially when we have faith too? ACTION POINT: Become a genuine friend of Jesus and build trust in Him! Then your prayers will get results – every time!!!

Contributed by Bar. David