Be filled with the Spirit.”

Ephesians 5:17

You can be filled with God’s Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is God — here on earth, but invisible — who came to live in the lives of those who have accepted Christ as Savior.

You do not have to try to live the Christian life on your own power without help.  The Holy Spirit can give you God’s power in your life to overcome sin.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.  God can help you live the Christian life by His power — His Holy Spirit — in your life!

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As believers, we have a Father who loves us. He desires the best for us. We’re part of a large spiritual family with many brothers and sisters. But sometimes we still feel lonely. This can happen even when there’s no major crisis in our lives.

Our greatest loneliness comes from a separation from the Father. This is a spiritual problem. The source is sin. We experience a break in our close fellowship with the Lord when we disobey Him and go our own way.

The remedy is confession. Confession leads to restored intimacy with God. If we refuse to admit our sin, the separation grows worse.

Busyness and preoccupation with earthly affairs also cause this isolation. Sometimes we push aside time with God to fulfill our obligations. We might focus so heavily on daily living that we ignore Him. To overcome loneliness, spend time reconnecting with God through His Word. Take in the knowledge of His deep, abiding love. Meditate on His great promises.

Being in harmony with God renews our purpose and energy for life causing that sense of isolation to lessen. Hope replaces discouragement. Our focus turns from “self” to others. It’s important to reconnect with people. So, look for opportunities to encourage, serve, love, and support those around you. Intimacy with the Lord is both the antidote to loneliness and protection from it.

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“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True…His name is the Word of God..On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written:  King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

Revelation 19:11, 13, 16

How can we rejoice in the Lord?  What if we are sick, or poor, or our families are having problems?  Yes, we can still rejoice in the Lord — because the source of our joy is not our circumstances, but Christ in us.  Here are some things we can rejoice about if we have accepted Christ as our Savior:

• God loves usChrist is our Savior
• We have a future in heaven
• We will spend all eternity with Jesus
• God has promised to care for us and provide for us

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”  The Apostle Paul had many hardships in his life; yet he still said “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.”  “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all — how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

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“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

Christmas is coming. What is Christmas? The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Jesus came to earth to save sinners from our sins. What is our part? To believe and receive — to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and receive Him into our hearts.

Christmas in much of the world has become commercialized. We buy and sell presents — we have Christmas trees. In the midst of these, let us not lose our focus on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Jesus came to earth in Bethlehem in Israel over 2,000 years ago. He was born in a stable to the Virgin Mary. He was not rich or famous when He was born; He was the Lord of the universe yet He came to live humbly among us.

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“Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His loving kindness is everlasting.”

Psalm 136:26, NASB

“In everything give thanks.”  Why is giving thanks to God so important?  Because…

1. The Bible tells us to.
2. God is the author of every good gift in our lives; “every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father.” It is only right to thank the one who gives us good gifts.
3. Even in difficult times, we have so much to be thankful for — our health, new life in Christ, eternal life, forgiveness of sins, family, many blessings.
4. Giving thanks is good because it focuses us on God and reminds us of Who He is and His faithfulness and takes our eyes off of ourselves

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“Elijah as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!  Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.”

James 5:17-18

You can be a prayer warrior for God!  As you pray, God can use your prayers by His Holy Spirit to touch nations.

The Bible says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”  Ask God to give you a touch of His heart of love for the world.

God’s power can change the world.  You could ask God to give you love for a particular country.

Then, you could pray that God will

• Bring millions to faith in Christ in that country
• Pour out His blessings on that country
• Bless the church and help believers to reach the world from that country

Someday in heaven, you may look back and see how God used your prayers — and the prayers of others — to help change a nation — and ultimately the whole world — for Jesus Christ.  Let us not live just for ourselves, focused on our small worlds — let us live for God and ask for a heart to change the nations for Jesus.

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Then Jesus came to them and said,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18 - 20

You can help reach the world for Jesus Christ!  Our Lord Jesus told His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”  We are to give everyone on earth the opportunity to receive Christ.

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And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

Ephesians 1:22, 23

What is church?  Church is the body of Christ.  Jesus lives in each of us as Christians, and all Christians in the world make up the universal body of Christ.

Church can be a tremendous help to you as you grow in your Christian life.  When you go to church you can worship God and give Him praise.  Other Christians can encourage you; can teach you; can counsel you; and can be used of God in your life.  At the same time you can be used of God to bless others in your church.  It is important to get together with other Christians when you can.

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Not everyone is called to serve overseas.  Every one is called to share the truth with people who don’t know it yet. It is all too frequently the case that Christians are quick to imagine themselves on a far flung shore while ignoring the poverty and need on their very doorstep.  

Foreign missions were in their heyday at a time when Western European countries were consolidating their grip upon colonies.  The world is no longer the same and Christian Missions must move with the times.

STEPS

1.[[Pray|Pray]] about it. (Including the listening part of praying!)

2. Ask yourself what you could bring to a foreign mission that an indigenous Christian could not.  What are your gifts?  What is your training?

3. Talk to your Church leaders about it.

4. Be honest with yourself about your motives.

5. Do some research.

6. Talk to some mission agencies.

7. Do a couple of short term experiences like a 3 week trip.

8. Talk to your church leaeders again.

9. Pray some more.

10. Decide where you are going to go.

11. Join a mission agency or a denominational agency.

12. Raise the money.

13. Do some training

14. Pray some more

15. GET ON A PLANE!

TIPS

* Talk to your Church leaders about it.

*  Might take a bit of time.

WARNING

*Choosing to serve God may change your life.

*It will probably involve leaving your home country.

*Some countries do not allow Christianity, thus followers are heavily persecuted. Be careful and trust on God that He’ll get you out (meaning death, banishment or a fine)

THING’S YOU’LL NEED

*Passport.

*Faith.

*Vision.

*Passion.

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“Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  

Matthew 9:2

You can be forgiven!  This is the wonderful message of Jesus Christ.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Jesus Christ came to earth to die on the cross for our sins.  He was perfect and sinless; we deserve the penalty for our sins.  He took that penalty Himself when He died in such pain and agony.

Now when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior He sets us free from the law of sin and death.  Even as Christians, we may sin.  But God promises us that if we ask Him He will forgive us our sins.

That is the great news; and we want to share it with the whole world.  

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