January 31, 2011

Read Mark 8:34-38

There is no secret formula for standing out for Jesus. There is no ‘To Do’ List to work through to make you a contagious Christian or a super witness. It boils down to a simple truth - your relationship with Christ Jesus and your willingness to step out in faith.  Each and every day there are opportunities to promote Christ Jesus or to evangelise or to serve or to work strategically for the Kingdom of God.

Ultimately you have 2 choices in each and every situation that you find yourself in. - you can choose to glorify Christ or you can choose to deny him. Believers who choose the former have a dynamic impact in their world and make a difference. They are the contagious Christians that stand out from the crowd. They are the ones who make the most of every opportunity (Colossians 4:5) without being ashamed and afraid to stand up for our Lord and Saviour.  Believers who choose the latter are often concerned about self - self status, self protection, self image, self promotion, self worth, self rights and so on. While we are concerned with our own rights and self interests we will never be a dynamic, life changing Christian.

As most of you already know and have experienced, a dynamic life of service and witness begins with denying one self, taking up one’s cross and following Jesus. Are you ready? Are you willing? Are you committed to being a dynamic and effective soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ? It’s time to die to ‘self.’  It’s time to commit our entire life and personhood to the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s time to pray a prayer that submits our entirety to the Lord and gives him the freedom to do with us whatever he pleases and to send us wherever he wants to. That kind of submission opens the door to a life of servant hood and powerful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

þ In prayer commit your life afresh to the Lord. Tell God that you are willing and happy for him to do with you whatever he wants and to send you where ever he desires. Tell God that you will joyfully do the work that he has called you to do from now on. If you have been holding back in some areas of your life, commit that area to the Lord as well.

þ Pray that the leaders of your church (Pastor, elders, ministry leaders, cell leaders etc) will have the same attitude as described above. Ask God to dramatically grow your church as individuals take up the challenge to deny themselves, take up their cross and to follow Jesus completely, without reservation.

þ Pray that the Myanmar and Burma mission teams will be well supported by the congregation financially, practically and prayerfully.