Christ’s Ambassadors

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Its easy to get discouraged in evangelism, isnt it? Sometimes youre criticized, given the cold shoulder, or cant see the fruit of sharing your faith. When were feeling low, we often forget that God has called each of us to be His ambassadors.

Second Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” Thats so important to remember!

What does it mean to be Christs ambassador? First of all, an ambassador doesnt invent the message. His president tells him what to say. This means that you dont have to come up with the message. You simply give out the beautiful Good News Gospel, wherever God has put you.

Leave the rest to the Holy Spirit. Also, since youre an ambassador, youre not just some nobody praying for your neighborhood. You have power. You have authority. You have an important mission to spread the Good News message to your world!

No matter how people may respond, it doesnt change the way God sees you. You are His messenger – His ambassador. So keep sharing Gods message of Good News, with dignity and power. After all, thats exactly what an ambassador is called to do!

Pray Great Prayers

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When I was a teenager in Argentina, a missionary from California taught me how to pray. His name was Keith Benson. Keith asked if I would like to pray with him once a week. I was thrilled! The first afternoon we got together, Keith put a map on the wall. On the map was the city of Cordoba, which is the second largest city in Argentina.

We began praying for each and every church in Cordoba. It took many months, but we did it! Then Keith began putting up maps of other cities throughout Argentina, and we prayed for those by name, week after week.

Eventually, it was on to South America. We prayed for each and every country. Finally, Keith brought out a globe of the world! And I fell in love with the nations! I learned so much through those prayer sessions. Keith taught me that regular prayer not only enhances your relationship with God, but it increases your vision for what God can do through your prayers. I determined that I was ready to go wherever the Lord called me!

In John 16, Jesus says: “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Whatever we ask in Jesus name, He promises to do it. So dream big – but pray even bigger – that God will use you to reach your world for Jesus Christ!

Working Together

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Do you remember what the Lord Jesus prayed the night before his crucifixion? He was going to the cross the very next day, and yet, in the Garden of Gethsemane, what did Jesus pray about? “Father,” Jesus said, “I pray for those who will believe in me, that they may be one as we are one, so that the world may believe that you sent me.”

That was the cry of the Lord Jesus – that Gods people will act, and function, as one, “so that the world may believe…”

It pleases the heart of God when Christians work well together. Its a clear message to our world that we belong to Christ. And, by teaming up with other believers, you can do great and powerful things for Jesus that you could never do alone.

So, do you have a dream of doing something big for God in your neighborhood, town, or even country? If so, remember you cant do it alone! Of course youll need Gods blessing and leading and wisdom; but youll also need fellow believers to help your dream become reality!

Were most effective when we pull together, not apart. When we work with other Christians, “as one,” the world takes notice. And the result is that many may choose to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Body of Christ

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Many Christians today are in the habit of not going to church. Most are good-hearted believers, who simply dont think they need the local church. But Hebrews 10:25 tells us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.”

Why do we need church? Because the local church is Gods way of shaping us, molding us, and then using us to reach our world. Although there may be people there who rub us the wrong way, thats part of the genius of Gods design!

He wants to stretch us, and cause us to grow. We may get bothered by the style of this, or the sound of that. But its good for us! Its humbling, its purifying, its “iron sharpening iron.”

As we are sharpened by others in the church, we become more like Jesus Christ. We also learn how to work with those who are different than us. And working well with other believers is one of the best expressions of Jesus Christ to our world.

So, dream great dreams for your church! Be faithful to it! Pray for it! And get involved. Ask God to use your church to reach your neighborhood, your city, your country for Jesus Christ. Thats exactly what He wants to do!

Your Family

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Theres a wonderful promise in the Old Testament that I came to understand when I was a young boy. The promise is found in Genesis 26:6. God says to Abraham, “Through your descendants all the nations on earth will be blessed.”

When I read that as a boy, I remember thinking, This is something I can pray for my own kids someday! So, as my wife and I started our family, we prayed that prayer for each of our four boys. We said, “Lord, through these boys, please bless all the nations of the world.”

Now, there were some rough years. One of our sons, Andrew, took a big spiritual hike for about 13 years. We experienced a lot of sadness. But we kept praying, “Lord, bless the nations of the world through our boys.” And praise God, Andrew did finally surrender his life to Jesus Christ!

Now, hes an evangelist – sharing the Good News all around the world. In fact, each one of our boys is serving the Lord in different capacities. Its thrilling to watch how God has answered that prayer of ours!

So, dream great dreams for your family. No matter where your kids are right now with the Lord, dont despair. Pray for your children by name, asking God to bless the nations of the world through them. The Lord will hear, and answer!