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Your Heart – A Crusty Sponge?

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Have ever considered the difference between a wet sponge and a dry sponge? A wet sponge can be used – its flexible and malleable. But a dry sponge is dull, hard, and crusty. Its useless.

My friend, when we refuse to forgive someone, our hearts becomes like that dried up sponge! Bitter and ugly. Many people spoil their lives by refusing to forgive. They limit how God can use them because they arent free from the burden of resentment.

Some even have physical or emotional breakdowns because bitterness consumes them. No matter how great is the trespass against us, we cannot afford to harbor resentment in our soul.

The Bible says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

If you know Jesus Christ today, you do not have to “muster up” the strength to forgive. You just need to pray and ask Gods Spirit to enable you to forgive. The Holy Spirit living in you is what makes forgiveness possible. By His power, forgive those who have wronged you and point them to Jesus Christ.

To Taste of Calvary

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These last five days Ive been talking to you about an old hymn that touched my life when I was young, and still does today. Here is verse 5, “So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred. To eyes made blind because they will not see. To spend, there will be blood. To spend and spare not. So send I you to taste of Calvary.”

You know when Jesus Christ sends us out to give the Good News of His son, in some ways, you are dying to yourself. In many ways, you are dying to the flesh, to the world, and to the devil. And sometimes, its hard. But you know, its worth it all. Even if you and I should have to shed our blood, God forbid, but if we had to, and we did it in His power, we would never regret it.

Jesus Christ died on a cross for us, whose hearts were hard, some of us were filled with hatred. Some of us were blind because we didnt want to see. But Jesus Christ nevertheless, died for us on the cross. And when we share the Good News, with a neighbor, with a friend at work, with somebody at school, whoever it may be- in a way we are identifying with Jesus Christs dying on the cross and we are hurting and suffering in a way for the person that we want to lead to faith in Jesus Christ.

So rejoice my friend. I hope this week has helped you. “As the father has sent me,” Jesus said, “So I send you.” There is no greater calling in the whole world. Fulfill it, and you will never regret it.

Loneliness for a Greater Call

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We all want to reach our world, dont we? Well, sometimes it can be very lonely. Verse 3 of the hymn Ive been sharing with you this week says, “So send I you to loneliness and longing, with hearts a-hungering for those we love and know. Forsaking kin and kindred, friend and dear ones so send I you to know my love alone. ”

There are some people who are called to remain single- and some of them are called to remain single and go to a foreign country to give the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes there is loneliness, yes there is longing and hungering to be with those you love and know, yes you want to be with family, with friends, with dear ones, but you know, somebody has to get out there and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I have one wife, four sons, four daughters in-law and ten grand children. And for all of our lives, weve had to be separated from each other week after week, month after month, year after year. One day we calculated wed been separated for 15 years, to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But somebody has to do it, somebody did it to bring me the Gospel down in South America, and I love those missionaries who did it.

So yes, there is loneliness, and theres longing and hungering for those we know, but in the end, the result of people going to Heaven, and knowing Jesus Christ is worth all the sacrifice and all the effort – on behalf of the one who died on the cross all by Himself.

The Reward of Sharing

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Years ago, when my wife and I, started to proactively try to reach our world, there was a Christian hymn that was sung very often in churches. I hum it to myself quite often, even now, years later.

This is the first verse, “So send I you to labor unrewarded, to serve unpaid, unloved and unsought, unknown. To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn, and scoffing. So send I you to toil for me alone.”

When I sang that song, I always used to think, I believe all those words except one… and that is the first line, “So send I you to labor, unrewarded…”

I believe theres a great reward in serving Jesus Christ. The biggest reward is when a person repents, believes in Jesus Christ, opens their heart, surrenders to Him, and begins to witness of the Love of God and the cross of Jesus Christ.

But you know there is a point to this verse, when it says, “unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown…” Youve got to be ready, when you share the Good News of Jesus Christ that not everybody will applaud, not everybody will think that youre great, and not everybody will respond by faith.

So by faith, launch out, and expect God to reward you in His own way.

Differences and Similarities: Love

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Christians want to reach others with Gods love by sharing the message of Jesus Christ. But sometimes we think the differences between us are just too great.

My friend, today I want you to remember that we are all human. And as humans made in the image of God, we all have the capacity to give and receive love. LOVE is something everyone longs for.

Now, what distinguishes Christians from nonChristians when it comes to love? Quite simply: the ability to extend love when our feelings are against it.

How do we do this? By the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

This is what enables us to love difficult people – even our enemies – with Gods love.

Those who do not know Jesus Christ are intrigued by the way Christians can extend such nonsensical love. I challenge you today – dont just love someone, but explain the source of your love. Tell about Jesus Christ.