I Corinthians 2:7-9

No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ However, as it is written:

   “What no eye has seen,
   what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”
   the things God has prepared for those who love him—
God Loves you so much that he has made a place for us that we can not even imagine. No matter what we are going through God is with us. We have to trust in him, putting our hope in earthly things and in man is a mistake; humans will always let you down. But God will never leave you or let you down He can’t he is God and he is perfect. He knows what you is happening right now in your life and know what is a head. He is a loving Father and wants what is best for his children. We just have give it to him and trust that it is going to be ok. He never said that there would not be pain and suffering in this life but he did say that we would never leave us so. So no matter what it is he is with us.
Leave His Mark today by sharing God with someone.

Give them a chance to really Live

How do I just walk up and start telling someone about God? This might be the question that you ask. It seems hard at times to just start telling people about the Lord but we are commanded to do so, if we are his children.

                                               

Matthew 2816-20

 ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I personally like cold calls, that is where you just walk up to someone and start telling them about Jesus. This is how I do it most of the time. Let’s say I am in the grocery store, the Mall or just any store shopping. I am always on the look out for someone to share the gospel with. I am looking for opportunities to talk with them. I first might say, I really like that bag you have where did you get it?  They might say oh, I got this at Millies. Then I could respond it sure is nice I am always looking for a cute purse to take to church. I go to Westmeade Baptist. Where do you attend? If they say another church that is great. (She is more than likely a sister in Christ) then you might be able to say something to  reference when you were saved and ask them about their conversion experience. (Just because they attend church does not mean that they have been saved) If they can not recall when they first ask the Lord to come into there life then this would be a great time to just tell them how to be saved that, one way is in three easy steps. If they really are attending church they might know this but have never done it.  The ABC’s of becoming a Christian (I will have it at the bottom of this so you can us it. Your are welcome to print it out so that you might keep it in your purse, diaper bag or wallet and have it handy just to help you out.) You might say something like have you ever heard of the ABC’s for becoming a Christian. It is not much to it and you could be saved today with a 30 second prayer. It is hard and I would be glad to help you if you would like.

Now the other person you ask may not attend church so you could just simply invite them to your church.  You could say something like Oh; well I go to Westmeade it is every Sunday starting at 9:15 for Bible Study and 10:30 for worship. I would just love for you to come with me you could set with me and my family. Even if they say I don’t think so you could then say, can I ask you a question? Do you know the Lord Jesus as a personal savior?   If they say now keep talking and share the ABC’s with them. If they say yes. Just rejoice with them and say some thing like I don’t know where I would be with out God in my life he is so good to me if you change your mind about church here is my name, number and church information give me a call if you what to know more about it. You have just planted a thought in their head if they later want to know more about Christ or your church they now have that information in their hand.

To witness to others you just have to be open to it God will put people in your path. All that I have been telling you is just an example of what could happen. You’re not in control God is. You have trusted him as you saver so now just trust him as the leader of the great commission.

 Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

You never know what your will encounter and the blessings you will get from it until you do it. It is like a bust of some kind of energy drink but faster and BETTER. Even if the person is not open to talk with you. You have just done what is commanded of you from our Savior and that in it’s self is awesome. Just like when you were a child and you pleased your parents and they were so happy with you. God is so happy when we do his will and Leave His Mark where ever we have been.

The Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say. Everyone witness with their own style and you have to find what will work for you and just practice it by telling others

So, today when you are going about your life remember that there are those around us who are not truly living yet and they need Christ. So, if you don’t tell them who will?

The ABC’s of Becoming a Christian
   “A” is for Admit. You must admit to God that you are a sinner. You must be sorry for your sins and turn away from sinning.  Verses that support this step are:

• Romans 3:23
• for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
• Romans 6:23
• For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Acts 3:19
• Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
• 1 John 1:9
• If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

  “B” is for Believe.  You must believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for sin. Verses about believing include:

• John 3:16
• For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
• John 14:6
• Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
• Romans 5:8
• But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

  “C” is for Confess. You must confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Read the following verse:

• Romans 10:9-10,13
•  9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved…. 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

After you admit to God that you are a sinner, repent and turn from your sin, believe that Jesus is God’s Son sent to die to pay for the sins of the world, and confess your faith in Jesus, you are a Christian and know Jesus as your Savior.
Admit!  Believe!  Confess!  Here is a sample prayer that will help you begin:
Dear God,
I know that I am a sinner, and that I need Your grace.  Thank you for loving me enough to send your Son Jesus Christ into the world to die for my sins.  I believe that He arose from the dead and that He lives today.  I confess my sins to You now, and ask that You place Your Holy Spirit in my heart that I may turn away from my sins.  I love You, I believe in You, and I want to have a personal relationship with You.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Share your faith

Remember to keep a smile on your face. I sometimes will be doing something and my boys will say," why are you so mad?" I will say "I am not mad" however my face must appear mad. The old saying is smile catches on and this is so true. I have had a lot of people to just start talking to me if I was smiling. this just makes you more approachable. Next time you go out notice the people around you. There is so many who have lot their smile it might not be anything but then again their lives may just be turned upside down and they don't know the Lord because with out Him  there is no joy.
I once was shopping in Wal-Mart and I noticed this lady looked like she had been crying. I remember smiling at her and saying how are you today?. What happen next I was blown away by. She said " Really I am not doing so good I have been sick, my dad just passed away and the bills are piling up" I was shocked I was not expecting this at all, However God is so good and when you don't know what to say He will give you the worlds So I said, I am so sorry for your lose and that your day seems to not be going to great. Do you mind if I ask you a question? she said no, I said, do you know the Lord Jesus as your personal saver? She replied, Yes I do but I have not been to church in a while. I said, the Lord knows your heart and he is going to help you though this time he loves you. I then ask her could I pray for her she said that would be great. I then said I mean now.  Yes of course, she replied. So we held hands on isle eight and prayed out loud. I noticed that people around us just stopped until the prayer was over. Then she hugged me and was crying and thanked me she said she needed that I told her it was not me It was Jesus because I am and can not do anything without he. Leaving she said You know I really need to get back to church I miss it.
God is so good, I did not know that when I went to Wal-mart that day how blessed I was going to be. Leave His Mark where ever you go. This world is in such need and needs to know that Our God is the only true God and He love us we just have to accept him. Don't keep him to your self share the Love of Jesus.

Psalm 5:11-12     But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

The Leaving His Mark thought of the Day

The first question was what is causing or students to walk away from their faith?  They seem see Christianity as a check box of what to do and not do for living. There is no fun in this type of living also that our students are looking for transformation and they are not getting it. This is why while they are in the group they get all fired up and excited but once they leave they lose that excitement. This is because transformation has no really happened they are just getting excited for a time then they lose it. Roman 12:2 says Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So, how can we ground students in their beliefs so that their faith not only survives but thrives throughout the challenges of youth and young adult hood?  We must invest in them just like Jesus invested in his disciples. From Jesus we can see what it means to mentor someone. We must not just have bible studies, even though that is great, we must live our faith out in front of students everyday. We must take the time to be with the youth to guide them by our own actions.  Just to spend time hanging out with them watching a ballgame, a trip to the mall, a day at the park just a day in your life doing what you do. There are lessons to be taught everywhere and opportunities to show, not only students, but to everyone what it means to live a life sold out to Jesus. When we invest in a young person we are investing not only in their future but our future. They will be the ones to carry on once we are gone. I think as a mentor you have to have a transformation your self or you will not motivated, focused, or equipped to mentor some one else. Our youth deserve a chance to be transformed and we as Christians have the answer we just have to be willing to take the time to give it to them. Out students and children need much prayer to survive in todays world they a have so many things pulling at them. We need to be there for them and encourage them. We as Christian need to pass on the love of Jesus.

Mammaw Pollys walk with Jesus

This morning I got up and I was thinking about my grandmother and how she really made a difference for the Kingdom of God. Her name was Pauline I called her MamMaw Polly. Mammaw Polly was a great woman who loved the Lord with all her heart and it showed. You could not be around her anytime and you knew there was something different about her. That difference was the Lord. She had total peace and was always happy. Not to say she did not go through tough times she did but she always keep her focus on God.

Mammaw Polly grew up in a small town in Alabama. She lived with her mom, dad, sister, and to many brothers for me to count. He family was not rich they worked hard. Mammaw Polly had to work even as a small child. She went to school but only to the third grade. This is where her formal education ended. At sixteen she did not get a drivers license to be a matter of fact she never got them. She never drove a car anywhere. When Mammaw Polly turned eighteen she married Forrest. She loved him more than I have ever seen a woman love a man. She was a devoted wife and loved him no matter what he did. Mammaw Polly and Poppaw Forrest had eight children five boys, two girls and a baby she lost due to complications. Mammaw Polly had a life of love, she love God, Her husband, and her family.  I heard my mom once say she even would take up for Papaws dogs. She never worked a public job, she took care of her family did gardening, mending clothes, making cover for the bed and what ever else needed to be done. When she was older she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had to take treatments for this and it was back when they did not have the modern medicines we have now. She was corateined and was very sick. The Lord healed her from the cancer and she let everyone know how great her God was. Time passed on, her oldest son was killed in a car wreck. Even though she was hurt terrible she did not blame God she just held closer to him. Years later, she found out she was a diabetic, one day while working in her garden she stepped on something and it made a spot on her toe. She did like anyone else and started putting stuff on it to help it. Nothing she did made it better the spot keep getting worse. She finally went to the doctor and he told her that she had gangrene. He scheduled surgery to take off her toe. When they got in there it was worse than the doctors thought. They started with her toe but when they finished they had taken her leg off right below her knee. You can imagine her surprise and heart break to wake up without her leg. She did great, she had determination and she learned to walk again. The joy of the Lord never left her. She lived may years before one day she started having pains in her heart. By that night she had a heart attach. They tried to put in a pace maker but it did not work. She was in the hospital in her right mind and wanted to see everyone that was there to see her. She gave them all advice and told them how much she loved them.  My dad, her son in law, was the last one to see her. She told him she was ready to go home and that day she entered the Kingdom of Heaven.

I tell you all of this to say that you do not have to be some great preacher, teacher or anything like that to tell others of the Love of Jesus. My Mammaw was just a women who loved the Lord with all of her heart and she let others know how great he his just by living her life every day for him. If someone needed prayer my mammaw was the fist to speak up and say I will pray with you or for you. So today let you life shine for Jesus.