JoAnn's Spiritual Lessons

Share the Gospel and save another; 1 Corinthians 9:12, The Gospel is to be shared at all costs

1 Corinthians 9:12
"If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ."
NKJV

Paul had given up everything for the sake of the Gospel. He had been imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked and snake-bit, but he still remained steadfast in declaring Christ crucified. Even in his letter to the church of Corinth, we see a man who is willing to continue the race even if all support falls out from underneath him. How could he do this? Simple. He knew the God He served.

When we step out in obedience to God, we don't always know what may happen next. He may lead us to share the Gospel with someone even though we don't know how they will respond. Sometimes, we may give to our church while not knowing how it will affect our budget for the week. Whatever the situation, there is one unchanging element - God. He is still the same God who provided for Paul despite the lack of those who gave. He's still the same God who protected Paul while adrift at sea. He is the same God who gave His own Son to die for our sins in the ultimate act of love. My friend, because He is God, we can step out in faith and experience a life like no other. Because He is God we have the freedom to serve Him with all our hearts.

Life Lesson: When we give our lives to God, only then do we discover maximum freedom.

Dear Father,
Thank You for all that You have done for me. Thank You for Jesus and the gift of salvation. Lord, because of that gift, I am now free to serve You with all my heart and soul. Remove the fear and doubt in my mind. Help me to give all of my life to You and use me for the work of Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My Comments: Years ago I chose to follow Jesus and accept His Sacrifice on the Cross. I was reborn by the Grace of God a new person in Christ Jesus. Not from anything I did. It was by everything He did for me for all of us for all time. Since that time I am His and it is my will to do His will. At first it was hard reaching out to people I did not know to speak about the Lord God and all He was doing and had done for me.

I remember we had been living in Tacoma when I was saved just before 911 and then we lost every material thing we had and moved to the ocean where we still had a shack (literally falling down and rotten with black mold and shortly afterwards the roof blew off). We were given a scholarship to the “Y” and every morning I would go and exercise with the seniors. But before they came I used the hot tub to loosen up. The Lord impressed on me to Evangelize there so my time in the hot tub became my “Hot Tub Ministry”. And when people came in to the water I started talking to them and eventually talked about my best friend, Jesus. As time went on I found it easier and easier to talk about my Lord and the things He was doing in my life and my family.

Now I talk about Him wherever He prompts me and sometimes it still does not come easy yet He gives me the words as He did for Moses and I trust He will work it out for the best for those who hear even if I botch the whole thing. It is never because of what I say or do. It is because I am faithful to do and He takes care of the rest. God is always faithful and true and I trust Him and have faith He will do a good work always. Friends I encourage you to take that leap of faith and trust Him to guide you and give you the words to say whether you are in the line at the grocery store or sitting on the bus with a stranger. Wherever you are trust He has placed you there for His glory. Someone needs to see Christ in you, hear Christ from your mouth or even be comforted by Christ through you. That person could be family, friend or a stranger.

There will come a time when it will be forbidden to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in fact is against the law and punishable by death in many countries. Yet for now we still have it easy to share the Words and love of Christ and God’s message to the world. Ask God to guide you, ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit so you may share the Gospel wherever He has planted you.

Abba we pray You will guide us and place Your Word on our lips, have our lives to show Your Son Jesus the Christ in all we say and do, open our mouths with Your living truths, cloth us with Your armor and keep us ever strong and steeped in Your Word. We praise You and thank You for choosing us and always being there for us. Cover us with Your mantle, Oh Lord and grant that we will always be true to You. Amen

Rebishka