The Greatest Christmas Gift

 

Intro: December 25th we will celebrate Christmas. This is one of the most important holidays for mankind with Easter being the other important holiday. Christmas is a time of giving and rejoicing in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I. God was the first to give. John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He (gave) His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Mankind was eternally lost without God’s gift, in sin and error wasting away with no hope until Jesus appeared and the soul felt its worth. Luke tells us in; Luke 2:11 (NKJV) For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ts worth. No greater gift has ever been given to mankind than the one given on the first Holy night when God gave us His only begotten Son that through Him we might be forgiven of sin and have eternal life.

II. Jesus gave the ultimate gift of His life on the cross for us. Isaiah 53:5 He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. He suffered these things for our sins, not His own, because He had no sin. Our Lord Jesus suffered all five kinds of wounds known to medical science for us: contusions—blows by a rod; lacerations—scourging; penetrating wounds—crown of thorns; perforating wounds—nails; puncture wounds, spear. He paid the price required by the Father, that we might be healed. What a precious gift Jesus gave to mankind!

III. God has given us the gift of His Spirit. When Jesus ascended, God sent the Spirit. We were baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. The Father has given the guarantee of eternal life by His Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Holy Spirit has given us the gift of His power to live righteously and be witnesses for Jesus Christ. We received that power the moment we were born again. Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Our part is to surrender to the Spirit's power in our lives.

IV. We can give Jesus a gift. The greatest gift we can give to Jesus Christ in return for all He has done for us is helping to spread His message of salvation to the world. No greater gift can be given than that of Christ and His salvation to lost souls. Jesus said in (Matt. 10:8b) Freely you have received, freely give. When we give Christ to a lost and dying world it is truly the gift that keeps on giving throughout eternity. Our lives should be a continual testimony of Jesus Christ!

Jesus said “He came to seek and save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Invitation: Have you been the recipient of the greatest gift God has ever given to mankind, which is salvation through Jesus Christ. If not, now is the time according to God’s word. Simply confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive and save you for the kingdom of God. Invite Jesus to take charge of your life till He calls you home. And be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! It will be your greatest Christmas yet!

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

 

Scripture Text

PSALM 107:21-22

Intro: November 25^th our nation celebrates Thanksgiving. We as Christians should not wait till the Thanksgiving holiday to thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. God's will for Christians is that we should be a fountain of praise and that our lives should be in a state of thanksgiving to God at all times and all circumstances.

I. We are to thank God for His goodness. Psalm 107:21a (NKJV)
²¹  Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness! The air we breath is enough reason to thank God when you take an honest visit to the hospital and see the number of people who live their life on oxygen, only then will you realize that you have been an ungrateful person all this while by not thanking God for life. The scripture says his mercy and goodness endures forever. For every person that is still alive on this earth, God is good and merciful to us. It is not that we are the most righteous people, not that we are the most fervent in our Prayers. It is only the grace and goodness of God that has kept us this far. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Therefore, we learn to give thanks to God. Meanwhile, giving thanks to God for his goodness also unlocks numerous blessings from God. King David became a man after God's heart despite his sins that he committed while on the throne of Israel. King David did not take the goodness of God over his life for granted; that is why he never missed the opportunity to give thanks to God for his goodness. As we cultivate the habit of giving thanks to God for his goodness, it will unlock more blessings in the name of Jesus.

II. We are to thank God for His wonderful works. [Psalm 107:21b] Psalm 107:21 (NKJV) ²¹  Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His wonderful works to the children of men! We have plenty of reasons to praise and be thankful to God for His wonderful works.                                                                              

1. Thank God for our salvation and freedom from captivity to the O.T. laws we couldn't keep and all Satan's power over us. Colossians 2:13-15 (NKJV) ¹³  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴  having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

2. Thank God we have been set free from sin. Romans 6:17-18 (NKJV) ¹⁷  But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Our thankfulness to God results in living righteous lives for Him.

3. Thank God for the sacrifice of Christ that brought us to Him. Romans 8:32 (NKJV)
 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? God did not withhold His Son but gave Him to be crucified on a cruel cross so our sins could be forgiven and we could be brought to Him.
1 Peter 3:18 (NKJV) ¹⁸  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

4. Thank God for satisfying our physical needs. Philippians 4:19-20 (NKJV) ¹⁹  And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ²⁰  Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 5. Thank God He satisfies our spiritual hunger and thirst for righteousness. Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. We were created with a deep hunger and thirst for what is right.

6. Thank God for the wonderful things we see in what He has done and is doing in His creation. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV) The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Thank God for the glory of His creation and handiwork.

7. Thank God that He has made us His heirs and joint-heirs with Christ. Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV) ¹⁶  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷  and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Conclusion: In conclusion Psalm 107:22 says “Let us sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing.” A sacrifice is something we put effort into, it costs us. When we bring sacrifices of thanksgiving to God we honor Him. May we continually give to God sacrifices of Thanksgiving and may we testify of His awesome goodness and wonderful works to all mankind. If we give thanks for every blessing that God has given, He may give us more incredible blessings. May we develop a heart of gratitude instead of taking things for granted. I pray we will all come to the realization of all that God has done and is doing for us every day and we would be more thankful.

Invitation: The first way to thank God for His goodness and mercy is to receive His Son Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. You do that by confessing your sins to Jesus and then asking Him to forgive you and save you for Heaven. Then be baptized to show publicly your decision for Christ. Then show Him you are thankful by living the rest of your life for Him.

Cheerful Giving

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

INTRO: The Christian faith is all about giving. It started with God giving His Son Jesus to us first. Then Jesus gave His life on the cross for us to save us. Then He tells us to do unto others what He has done for us. We all know what people say about giving to God’s work, but what does God’s word have to say. If we are wise we will listen to God’s word and not men. This church began because someone gave to get it started. Others have given to keep it going. Many have been saved because of Christian generosity. You and I were saved because someone gave so we could hear about Jesus and His salvation. We now have an opportunity to bless others through our Lottie Moon International Christmas offering. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than receive! (Acts 20:35)

I. Cheerful givers are enriched (supplied with riches, wealth, abundance) by God. (VS:6-10)

 1. You will be enriched in accordance with what you give. (V:6)

 2. You will be enriched with God's love and approval. (V:7)

You are just like God and His Son Jesus when you give. Think of all who have given to God’s church and His work in the past to give us what we have today. Think of those giving now. All who have a part in keeping God's work going are enriched with God's love and approval.

He loves a cheerful (joyful-jolly- merry) giver.

3. You will be enriched with an abundance of God's grace and sufficient supply toward you. (V:8) God's unmerited favor will abound toward you. You will have a sufficiency in all things and an abundance (plenty – overflow) to give to every good work. (Phil. 4:19)

4. You will be enriched with righteousness that will endure forever. (V:9)

This righteousness endures forever not only through the deeds done for the poor, but in the doer as he is being transformed into Christ likeness, which is God's will for us.

5. You will be enriched with God's resources and He will multiply the seed you have sown. (V:10)

 a. God will increase the fruits of your righteousness. Fruits of your righteousness include God's favor and blessings and the joy, welfare, and happiness your gift brings to others.

6. You will be enriched in everything. (V: 11) Cheerful giving satisfies your soul. God will meet all your needs and more so you will have enough to give liberally (generously) to God's work. 

II. Cheerful giving edifies (builds up) the church. (V:12) It supplies the needs of the saints. The needs of others will be met and they in turn will cause many joyful thanksgivings to God. 

III. Cheerful giving brings glory to God because of your generosity to them. (V: 13)   

  a. Cheerful giving will prove that you are obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ; That your faith is real. Cheerful giving magnifies the Lord God thru your submission to Him and His will.

IV. Cheerful giving magnifies God thru the glorification of His exceeding grace. (V: 14) Those helped will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace of God in you. There’s a song entitled Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.

V. Cheerful giving results in thanks to God for His indescribable gift of Jesus Christ. (V:15) God’s greatest gift is Jesus who brings us eternal salvation and spiritual riches, through His becoming poor. Such a gift is indescribable - “unable to recount or tell fully,” used only here in the NT). Those who have benefited from such a spiritual gift as salvation through Jesus Christ should not hesitate to benefit others with material gifts. It will bring thanks to God!

Conclusion: Christianity is all about giving because that is what Christ is all about. He set the example. Nothing good will ever happen apart from someone giving.   We have an opportunity thru our mission offering to help others hear the gospel and for us to be enriched by God, to edify or build up the church, supply the needs of others, and bring glory and thanks to God for His exceeding grace at work in us and His indescribable gift of Jesus Christ.

INVITATION: Jesus wants to give to you right now. He offers salvation for your soul and He also offers help for whatever circumstance or situation you might be in right now. Jesus can only give to you as you allow Him.

What Kind of God?

Romans 12:9-11 (NKJV) 

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate [loving] to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

It seems that since God made humans in His own image, humans have been “returning the favor” by making God into an image that best represents their own personality. Have you ever noticed that mean people have a mean god, while judgmental people have a judgmental god, lazy people have a carefree god, just anything goes? There are many kinds of people who justify their character and actions by creating God into their image, thereby nullifying the truth of the scriptures. Scripture says God is working to conform us to Christ’s image, but we are busy conforming Christ to our image.

   When people meet you today, what kind of god will you represent? Will they see a loving and merciful God, patient and full of grace? Will they see a God who is willing to serve rather than be served? Remember our God in Christ washed human feet. I don’t know of any other gods that would do that. Many times it is our own unyielding personalities that become hindrances for the world to see Jesus who lives in us. They can’t see Him for us, they just see a non-conformed personality.

  The bible teaches that we are to be Christ like.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

The best way to behave like a Christian is to yield ourselves to what Scripture teaches us about Christ. When we become followers of Jesus, and His Spirit takes up residence in us, we have access to His divine nature. 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NKJV)
³ His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Conforming to His image will manifest itself as described in the scriptures we began with.

We will find ourselves on a mission, diligent, persistent about the Father’s business as we serve the Lord every day, where ever we are and whatever we are doing.

The bible says in; 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NKJV)
²⁰ We are ambassadors [representatives] for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

 We are to show people the correct image of a loving, merciful, gracious and forgiving God. Let others see Jesus in you!

 Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me represent You well to everyone I meet. May others know that You are real by my actions and attitude. Teach me how to be more like You. Please empower me to love the unlovable, be kind to the unfriendly; and be merciful and gracious to those who may not know You. And above all, help me speak the truth in love. In Your name Jesus I pray!

Invitation: What kind of God do you represent in your everyday words and actions, attitude? Do others see Jesus in you? Do you need to repent of your actions? Do you need salvation? if so ask Jesus to forgive your sins against God and ask Him to save you. Then invite Him into your heart to live in you. Go to church and be baptized! You will be ever so glad you did.

Three Essentials For The Christian

Work, Labor, Hope

Intro: What if we had a tribute to the contributions Christian workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of God’s Kingdom? A Christian contributing to the strength, prosperity and well-being of God’s Kingdom is a Christian that is stirred up and aroused to work and should be commended. In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 N.K.J. The apostle Paul does commend the Thessalonian Christians. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 (NKJV) ² We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, ³ remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, ⁴ knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

 He commends them for their work of faith; labor of love and patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

These three things stir and arouse a Christian to work.

1 Thessalonians 1:5-8 (NKJV) ⁵ For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. ⁶ And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
⁸ For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.

1.  Faith stirs the Christian to work. Faith comes by hearing God’s word. Rom. 10:17!

Paul had brought them God’s word and many had responded. When the power of the Holy Spirit is working through the word, a person is drawn to Jesus Christ and when he truly believes in Him by faith, he is filled with joy and is stirred to work and serve the Lord Jesus. The same is true with a body of believers, the church. To exercise our faith, there must be a commitment to believe.  In Hebrews 11:6 we are told…But without faith, it is impossible to please him, for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is rewarder of those that diligently seek him. We are to seek God and believe His word, we are to believe his promises, believe he is able to do far and above anything, we could expect in the natural, because God is supernatural.  Hebrews 11:1-3 (NKJV) ¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. ³ By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Creation is one of God’s supernatural actions. He is able to do many supernatural things through our faith in Him. The stronger the belief of a Christian in Christ and His word, the stronger will be their work of faith for Him. Luke 17:5-6 (NKJV) ⁵ When the apostles wanted more faith they said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." ⁶ So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.  A strong faith stirs, arouses, activates, and energizes believers to work and carry out the mission of Christ. There must be a commitment. These people were being persecuted severely but they didn’t stop lifting up Jesus. There must be an understanding, not to give up, but Trust God in everything. Even, if it is not politically correct, and Even if others don’t see it.  Strong believers don’t give up their faith, to try and please people. God is the One we want to please.  

2. Labor of Love Faith without love is of no value. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJV)
¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

When a person truly loves Christ, he is prompted and driven to labor for Christ. Love stirs the Christian to labor. The word "labor" means to toil; it’s a persistent work. Labor of love is work done by those who have experienced the forgiveness and love of Christ, Those who are always conscious that Christ has taken their sins upon Himself and borne the punishment for them. In response to Christ’s love for them, the believers are motivated to express God’s love to others.

This love is described in 1 Cor. 13: 4-8a. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NKJV)
⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Simply stated, labor of love is exercising the power of the Holy Spirit within to love God, self, and others just as Jesus has loved us. It is the wonderful love of Christ at work in the believer that moves him to love and serve others. The believer does all he can to please Christ and to fulfill the joy of Christ. This is what Paul meant when he said "the (love of Christ) constrains (makes) me" to serve Him. 2Cor.5:14

3. Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ stirs the Christian to endure in its work and labor. Our hope (confident expectation) is in the Lord Jesus Christ to return from Heaven to take us home to be with Him.

So we patiently wait for Him. Wait means more than just wait; it emphasizes an active attempt to live for His glory in the meantime. As we wait for Jesus we will continue our work of faith and our labor of love for Jesus by living for Him and serving others.

We know that that Lord is going to transfer us into heaven at the end of this life and reward us according to our labor here on earth. Therefore, strong believers and churches are driven to endure in hope—to continue on in their difficult work of faith and labor of love for Christ. We love Him because He has first loved us and gave Himself for us.

Invitation:  Have you put your faith in Jesus for your salvation? Have you experienced the love of Jesus? If not ask Jesus to forgive your sins and save you. Invite Him into your heart to take charge of your life. If you do have faith in Him, Are you working your faith? Are you laboring in love, serving Him out of your love for Him and others? If not, why not? We were saved to do works of righteousness and labor for His Kingdom. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

Love Never Fails

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
 Love, the bible says, will not fail. Failure is not an option when you live in love. Everything else will fail and cease, but love remains. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) ¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. When you and I begin to walk in love, we can not fail. It's when we let the flesh (our desires-pride) get in the way. When we love, we are acting like our Father. 1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV) 
⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
We might say, "well, I can't love like God." God says not only you can, but He commands us to love. Jesus said that people will know we are Christians by our love one another. John 13:35 (NKJV) ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." The love Jesus was speaking of was not feelings and emotions, but a determination of the will. Sometimes people hurt us and we can't get our feelings into forgiveness and love, but with the help of the Holy Spirit who indwells us as Christians,  we can make a determination of our wills to love and forgive. When we do, we are being like our Lord Jesus and the Father God. And remember the scripture I started out with "Love never fails." When God says something, He is telling us the truth because He can not lie. When we choose to love instead of being angry and striking back, we become the recipients of God's special love. God always loves us, but this is a special closeness and intimacy we have with Him when we are obedient and we act like Him. You will never be closer to God than when you show love toward someone else. Especially when they don't deserve it. You will never be more like God than then when you choose to love someone else. When we love because we want to instead of we have to, then we receive the blessings of God's special love on our lives. The bible says in Galatians 6:7 (NKJV) ⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
If we sow anger, bitterness, jealousy, resentment, and we fail to love, then that's what we will get in return. But if we react in love, love will be what we reap back in our lives. The scripture I used at the beginning of this article says that tongues, prophecy, and knowledge will fade into the pages of history, they will fail the test of time, but the  amazing, indescribable, eternal love of God will last forever. That means our love for Him and each other, and God's love for us will stand forever bringing to pass His word "Love never fails."
When we live our lives with God's love being expressed in us and we begin to have love for each other, then we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that "failure is not an option" and that's a fact. Begin to pray for God to strengthen you so that you can express His love in you toward others so that you will not be a failure.  And then this passage of scripture will come to pass in your life.  1 John 4:12 (NKJV) ¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. We may not have seen God at any time, but if we love one another, God abides or lives in us, and His love has been perfected in us. May this be true of us all in Jesus' name.
INVITATION: You can not love like this until you have asked the "Prince of love" to forgive your sins against God and then invited Him into your life. Realize that God's word says that we have "all sinned and fallen short of His glory." [Romans 3:23]. Ask Jesus to forgive you. Then say "Jesus, I invite You into my life to live through me and guide me and direct me each day. I freely give you my life." When you do, you will become the recipient of His Divine love and you will be able to share it with others.
I pray a special prayer for all who read this article. My prayer for you is that God will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing so that you will be able to live for Him and love others. Then that which you have sown in others will be returned to you in Jesus' Holy name. Amen!

The Blessing of Giving

The bible says in Acts 20:35 (NKJV) ³⁵ I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
Do you really believe this? God cannot lie so this must be true. But when you look at Christians today what do you see mostly around you? We see a lack of praticing this scriptural truth.You and I do not want to be in that group. This article is to encourage you and I to be faithful to pratice God's word. We cannot allow ourselves to become like some we see.
Proverbs 11:25 tells us " (NKJV) The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. This is the promise of God to those who are generous to others. This is not just talking about money although it is included. We have received the power of God in our lives to be able to help others. There are those who complain that others are not helping them when in reality they have never helped anyone themselves. To be a friend you must be friendly. To receive love you must give love. To receive help you must give help. The bible tells us in Luke 6:38 (NKJV) ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Let's you and I be ones who pratice this law of God. I started to say principle but it is more than principle it is the law of retribution (repayment). Galatiains 6:7b tells us " Whatever a man sows that shall he also reap."
The tremdous blessings we receive will be so great that we will wonder why we didn't realize this long ago. There are some of you who have praticed this and have found it to be true. Still others have not yet matured to the point of actually believing that these things are true. If you are one of those let me encourage you to begin to sow yourself in someone else's life and see the rewards of your efforts. I have personally received many untold blessings from investing my life in someone else that needed my help. God will never fail to bless those who help others in any way. There are many ways to help someone else. The bible says if you give a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus you will receive a prophet's reward. How wonderful and generous God is toward us who obey Him. Sometimes we get discouraged in well doing, the bible says we shall reap if we faint not. Be encouraged you who are struggling to do His will fighting against tremendous odds. Be faithful and don't give up because your reward will be great. Thanks to all of you who do these things and may God's blessings continually be on you.
To those reading this who may not even know God let alone serve Him, you can find real meaning in your life by admitting your sin against God and by asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Then invite Him into your heart and let Him live through you. Go to a church that teaches Jesus and be baptized as a sign of your sincerety. Then He will give you the power to help someone else in their need. God has many wonderful things in store for those who will seek Him and involve Him in their lives. God bless you all as you are obedient to Him.