God’s Thoughts on the Lost

Lately my life has been surrounded by people who are passionate about sharing the Gospel with those who are hurting, crying and dying. What is God’s heart for the lost?

I’ll tell you, the closest and dearest thing to God’s heart is lost souls. He is not sitting up their waiting to punish us but the burning desire of His heart is to reconcile man/women to God. It’s God’s will that none should perish but have eternal life.

Religion is mean and condemning but God is love. In the heart of God is mercy. God hates sin but He’s not repelled by the sinners; He is drawn to redeem us with the blood of Jesus. Yesterday, I met Dr. Pool who is a Cardiac Surgeon. His testimony touched me deeply. He’s the only doctor I know who prays for each of his patients out loud. He’s healing the heart of his patients in more than one ways.

I’m fully convinced that God is speeding up the harvest all over the world. Recently I met a young man who used to be a member of a Satanist Church right here in Dallas. After God saved him miraculously, he began to debate with a young lady about the Gospel. All her life she has been a Mormon. After talking back and forth for about six months, she gave her life to the Lord. Today, they’re happily married and can’t wait to share the love of Jesus with others. I see God is working intensely to reconcile man to God everywhere I go.

Many Christians look at our society and gasp at where our culture is heading. It is easy to throw up our hands in the air and give up in despair. This is what happened to Paul in the Bible. Once He was in a city that was so filled with idols that he was filled with righteous indignation. Yet, before he left that city Paul’s heart was filled with compassion; he preached the Gospel to them and many came to know the Lord. Friend, let’s not gripe about what’s going on in our culture instead take the time to share Christ with those who are lost. Love – conquers all!

In the heart of God is mercy. We too must not condemn people but show them God’s mercy. Once, the religious leaders caught a woman in the adulterous act. They dragged that woman to Jesus wanting his approval to stone her. I always wonder why they didn’t condemn the man! Jesus loved the sinner and He still does. He said those that are without sin cast the first stone. Everyone left. He was the only one without sin qualified to cast the first stone. But He didn’t. He showed mercy, forgave her and said, “Go and sin no more.” Friend, if you want to be like Jesus, quit stoning people!

What is the value of one soul? The Bible says that Jesus crossed the sea to reach one man who was filled with demon spirits. Today people are in all sorts of troubles, some are filled with demon sprits and they cannot help themselves. Yesterday, I met a young man. His marriage is falling apart. He told me that nobody would counsel them for more than two times. They want them to go to the “professionals.” Sadly, people don’t want to help unless they’re paid! Where is the heart of compassion? Jesus crossed the sea to set one man free. We should have compassion for our fellowmen.

What is God’s thought about the world? Millions in Asia are racing towards eternity without hearing the name of Jesus. They’re into idolatry but they don’t know any better. We just came back from China touching over 3,000 lives. The communist government says we cannot preach the Gospel but God is working in China, India and other parts of Asia where the world’s most unreached people live. Should we live in the luxury of America and forget about the crying, sighing and dying world? God forbid! Let us have the heart of love and compassion like Jesus. The closest thing to the heart of God is the salvation of mankind. You and I are called to be ambassadors. We have the Gospel of reconciliation. Like my friend Dr. Pool, let us also share Christ with as many we can. For God so loved the world… We too must love people!

“We have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart” (I Corinthians 2:16 AMP).

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The Joy of Giving

One of the greatest pleasures in life is in our giving. We resemble God the most when we’re in the posture of giving. Giving is not only for the rich and it is not only about money. Giving is a lifestyle that God wants all of us to experience.

Many people have the idea that we have to be rich before we can give. You don’t give because you’re rich; you’re rich because you give. Giving is so much more than money.

In my early twenties when I was learning the principle of giving I didn’t have a lot of money. I remember how I’d buy packs of chewing gum and share with my friends and even strangers around me. I say this humbly but since then God has made me a conduit to pass millions of dollars and touch countless lives.

We can give people our time. The best example that comes to mind is teachers. They invest their lives to invest in our children. If you’re a mother, you’re a teacher. A teacher’s reward is not always reflected in her salary but the lives she touches that go on to become world changers. When we invest our time in visiting the widow and the elderly, we’re giving them the gift of life. If you volunteer anywhere, you’re an angel to someone! You’re the hands and feet of Jesus. Giving of our time is the best gift we can give because time cannot be replaced.

We can give by sharing our influence. I was meeting with a friend yesterday. He’s a banker. He has shown much interest in our ministry. As we shared our hearts together, he revealed to me how his finances have been stretched recently. He was distraught about not being able to do more. I told him, “I don’t need your money. I need your influence.” Immediately his eyes lit up. We sat there discussing all the different people he can introduce to our ministry. He left feeling like a million dollar man simply because he took time to share his influence.

Another way we can give is by speaking into people’s lives. A college student was drifting along in life when Mrs. Green confronted the young man. His mother owned a beauty parlor where Ruth Green was a regular. The young man came to visit his mother when Mrs. Green looked at him and asked for a piece of paper. On the piece of paper she wrote, “You’re going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.” Son of a Pentecostal preacher, today Denzel Washington is speaking to millions simply because Mrs. Green spoke greatness over his life! Washington says, “I still carry the paper with me today!” Denzel is one of the few Christian men who stand tall in Hollywood. Anyone can complement someone when they’ve made it in life. Let’s speak life into people who are struggling, suffering and in despair. Jesus was a friend of the sinners.

A great way to give is to make people feel better emotionally. I feel reluctant to share this in public but whenever I see a little baby or a toddler I have a habit of stopping look at the child, smile big and say to the parent, “Today, I’ve seen an angel!” I know it doesn’t sound very macho so I never stop long enough to see the expression on the parents’ faces but you can only imagine! We send people in orbit simply by speaking a kind word. Christ speaks when you speak. He touches people when you do.

Friends, the joy of giving is priceless. We all can give in so many ways. Some of you reading this maybe needing to be on the receiving end of giving. The best way you can receive is to give. Write a hand written note to encourage somebody. Make that call. Bake a cake. Mow the lawn of your neighbor. Visit the elderly – your parents! Speak kind words. Give a recommendation. Share your influence. When you do, you’ll be amazed how God will return the favor to you. Let’s change our world by our giving.

Live simply so that other people can simply live!

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it” (Proverbs 3:27 NAS).

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Invest in Your Relationships

Life and happiness are based on the relationships we have. The quality of our life depends on the quality of our relationships. When we invest in the relationships God has given us we are building others and advancing our own cause.

The cornerstone of all relationship is love and respect. When we learn to respect others as much we love ourselves, we will build strong relationships. Respect means to value a person with the same measure we measure ourselves. It means we don’t have to belittle others to make ourselves look better. When we respect others we look at people in one class – a child of God!

Another great ingredient to building better relationship is to make small adjustments. For some of you that means to be a better listener. For others it means to lower our voices. Yet some of us can improve our relationship by learning to give compliments. A little adjustment in our attitude and action can improve our relationships a great deal.

When we learn to honor others we’re adding value to that person. How many times we have snapped at our spouse, a loved one or a co-worker simply because we forget to honor the people God sends in our lives. When we honor people, we don’t shout, pout, belittle or break the trust of our loved ones. And when we do, we should be quick to ask for forgiveness. When we honor others, we don’t keep track of their wrongs, their weaknesses or gossip about their failures. The more we go out of our way to honor someone the more we’ll draw in God’s favor into our own lives.

A great way to measure our relationships standards is to evaluate the application of the golden rule – do unto others as you’d want others to do to you. Most of us want to be on the receiving end of the golden rule but our relationships will go to a new level if we live by the golden rule. Let’s study the person we love, respect and care. What makes them laugh? What makes them feel valued? What makes them feel fulfilled? What we deposit in people is what we’ll draw out of them.

A sure way to have better relationships down on earth is to have a great relationship with our Heavenly Father. When we have a healthy relationship with heaven, we’ll have better relationships on earth. When we accept Christ into our hearts, we tap into God’s reservoir to love people unconditionally, see people more importantly and treat people more respectfully. How is your relationship with heaven?

We all want to live happy and fulfilled. One way to ensure that is to have better relationships. Let’s respect and honor the people God put in our lives. Let’s be sensitive and make small adjustments. Let’s forgive quickly and treat others the way we want to be treated. When we are connected to our Heavenly Father, we’ll connect better with the people on earth. What we invest in a relationship is what we’re going to get out of it. Let’s invest in building better relationships!

“Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand” (Philippians 2:3-4 The Message).

What do you think?

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Equality, Injustice and Our Response

For more than 3,000 years people in our world are fighting for quality and rebelling against injustice. When the Hebrew children rose up against Pharos he could hardly believe that it could be his downfall. But history repeats itself. In spite of dictators and corrupt governments it is proven that the power of the people is stronger than the people in power.

I just returned from a mission trip to India and Nepal. I always come back fired up from these trips. Nowhere can you find social injustice worse than in this region. People live in utter poverty; most of them live under a dollar a day. Children, especially girls do not have an opportunity to set foot in a school. Mothers do not have clean drinking water for their families. Young, able-bodied and smart young people are jobless because no one would hire them because they’re Christ followers. Pastors, Christian leaders and churches are often persecuted, killed and burned by the society.

In light of our Christian faith what should be our response to this grave inequality and injustice? I believe our responsibility should be same as our Master who gave us everything and told us the story of the Good Samaritan. We must get off our own comfort zone, care and share. We’re to be the salt and light to our generation and promote equality and justice. Christianity is not a passive, meek and weak faith to be trampled under but the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. It’s a force to reckon with that has toppled strongholds and revolutionized nations. Realize it or not, you too are a part of the revolution when you became a member of God’s global family. Our brothers and sisters need your help – NOW!

Before you write me off as a fanatic, let me share why this is the best time for you to get involved in bringing hope, equality and justice to our brothers and sisters.

Rebecca (21) is one of our co-workers. Her parents are denied citizenship because they’re Christians. Her family cannot get proper jobs. Her parents wake up at 3 o’ clock every morning to make snacks for the local tea shops that provide a meager earning. Rebecca’s parents cannot send her to school so we have been sponsoring her college education. She is studying to be a media journalist. Just recently, she topped her whole collage of 1,500 students. She’s well on her way to finish college this year with highest honors. Rebecca is a prime example of what can happen if we pause long enough to care, share and invest in our young people who will change our world.

One reason people have stayed disengaged in the past is due to lack of accountability. But with the invention of modern technology and cell phone in almost every hand, corruption and mishandling of resources are becoming harder to hide. Times are changing for the better and for once we have genuine advantage to make an eternal difference.

My challenge to us today is to take action. If we truly believe and obey the Great Commission our Lord left us, we must go from virtual to actual. Opportunities are endless right now to sweep a whole generation into the Kingdom but it all depends on our response. Will you open your hearts, minds and resources to a cause burning deep in our Master’s heart? I know you will because that’s how we will fulfill the enormous task of world evangelization. Join us. Let us make a difference in many others like Rebecca!

“If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD--and he will repay you” (Proverbs 19:17 NLT)!

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