“IN THE END, IT’S NOT THE YEARS IN YOUR LIFE THAT COUNT. IT’S THE LIFE IN YOUR YEARS.” This quote is one spoken by Abraham Lincoln
long ago. And it’s very true! My regards, Mr. Lincoln; I DO agree with your
quote, but this day I would like to share my version of the quote you penned, which
goes like this … “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the Lord Jesus Christ in your
life!” This also, is true –
scripturally true, in fact. The gospel
message in John 3:16 states that for us to have everlasting life (which
begins at the end of our earthly life) – we must believe and receive the Gift
of God’s Son, Jesus, into our very own life while we are here on this earth. THAT’S
what counts, dear friends!
So, if it’s the Lord Jesus Christ in our life that counts … then
HE should be shown through us to the world around us. We should daily be inviting HIM to live
through us in everything we do ~ every day.
Yes! Every twenty-four
hours. Each new day! Why do you think He
chooses to give us another day on earth?
Just to throw some cruel test at us to see if we can somehow get through
the struggles and the intensity of it all?
More truthfully, He has placed us here with a divine, definitive purpose
and plan with unlimited opportunities to let Him shine through us! For His glory and honor!! Everything we do should make a bold statement
to our world, be it in a quiet, behind-the-scenes sort of way … or in visible stark
contrast to the hopelessness and evil of this present world we live in, work
in, walk in, and worship in! So, how do we do this?
Well, let me tell you how the business world makes itself
known. Corporations, family businesses,
online stores, small-town businesses – they all clamor for their piece of the
marketplace. Big bucks are paid for
professional marketing officers who are gifted and effective in how they
compete for the attention of the average shoppers. I recently read the accolades given to a
corporate marketer who oversees an entire region of stores throughout the
Mid-West, and I love what their CEO and President said about her: “She has great insight into our business and
she understands
how to reach our customers.”
Isn’t that what sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Great
Commission is all about? So how do we
get great insight and understanding about how to reach those we want to bring
into “our store” (translated: the church,
or more importantly, God’s Kingdom)? We
long to reach more of God’s people who have no church home … and we have a
passion to reach those people who are lost without a Savior. How do we go about it, though?
While the world’s marketers are most likely innovative leaders,
the key is that they know their products and they promote their
brand. They use all kinds of
marketing tools to get the desired job done:
special promotions, television and radio, the internet, weekly newspaper
ads, coupons, brand image, public relations, community involvement, social
media, and much more. Insightfully, huge
companies often recognize the power of being involved and helping in their
local communities or elsewhere when needs arise – even when there is no
financial gain for their company in doing so.
This is powerful! It shows the
compassionate, caring side of their business, and it turns into a win-win
situation that has positive impact on both the company and especially the
people they helped! Lives are changed …
people are reached!
In God’s Kingdom, we must recognize that having great insight and
understanding how to reach people for Christ comes through immersing
ourselves in the Word of God, applying ourselves to study and learning, sitting
at the feet of Jesus, seeking wisdom and discernment, and then listening to His
voice and obediently going out and DOING what He tells us to do! Doing these things daily in a committed,
often sacrificial way, will enable us to become people-changers as we reach
them in ways that we’ve never even thought of!
Steeping ourselves in the presence of Christ and His living Word will
give us the insight we need to know our Product: Jesus Christ, first and foremost – and His
gift of salvation and all His benefits … and then to promote His brand: holy living with an undivided heart that
reflects Christ.
Then as we use our God-given insight and understanding, we will
be able to share the Lord Jesus Christ as He opens doors for us to reach out to
our “customer-base”: souls who still
need the saving grace of Jesus! This
next week, we are challenging you to help us at Elevation North to
do just that as we prepare for the Sunday morning rally with Larry and Gloria
Lundstrom on June 5th at 10:00 a.m.
We are taking our message to the
streets of Owatonna! Please help us
by blessing
Owatonna and adopting your street! As you pray for those on your street, speak
peace and blessing, reach out and build relationships, respond to needs, share
the love, presence and power of Jesus Christ by inviting them to the Lundstrom
Rally! If they don’t yet know Jesus,
they will have the opportunity to do so when they come to the rally! Of course, they don’t have to wait until the
Rally ~ if they are ready to say “yes” to Jesus when you talk with them, YOU
can lead them to Jesus right there on the street!
And … we are not stopping after this week is past! We are going to continue to walk the streets
of our city all summer long, praying for the people who live on these streets,
sharing the love of Jesus! Stay tuned
for more details about the “BLESS
Minnesota ~ Adopt Your Street” movement! You can be a part of it by going to: www.BlessMN,org today! We have the opportunity to carry out the
Great Commission ~ please join us as we catch the vision and walk our streets
and cover the people who live there with prayer! May our passion to win the lost be awakened
and revived; this is our heart’s cry to our God! At the
end of life, THIS is what REALLY COUNTS, dear friends!
REMEMBER . . .
"And
I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for
us?'
Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'"
Isaiah 6:8
Isaiah 6:8
Joyfully Serving Christ . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
