Spreading the joy!

JOY fueled to go…

The joy of universal, eternal, good newsThere is not a more powerful statement of good, joyful news in the whole world.

This statement can lead to a dramatic change in the way you live.

This statement paves the way to change your eternal destiny.

God is love and has the heart of a father

We live in a world where there is much information ̶ not all information is equally important.

The truth that God is love is not generally recognised in the world – 1 John 4:8

Nor is the truth that God has the heart of a perfect father – John 14:6-7

God wanted a family, so He created the universeGod wanted to share His love with a family, so He created a universe where we could be born, get to know Him and be CONNECTED to Him. He gave us a free will so that we could be loving like Him.

In response to this we could use our free will to choose to respond to His love and be born again and CONNECTED into His eternal family.

CONNECTED for the abundant life, but Adam and Eve went their own way

Having been made in this universe, the first man, Adam, was invited into the abundant life of being CONNECTED to God – Genesis 2:16. What a privilege! Yet Adam chose rather to live the way he wanted, doing things on his own, in his own way in a universe of visible and invisible things of which he did not grasp the significance. He messed up (sinned) and, as warned, was condemned to eternal death, to SEPARATION from God – Genesis 3:6-7

But God so loved the world that He sent His Son

Adam was condemned to eternal death, SEPARATION from God. This included all to be born from Adam. All of us have sinned – Romans 3:23

But God so loved the people that He sent His Son (of incalculable value) as a human to pay to fix the mess that Adam and his offspring had caused, and make a way to bring them back into CONNECTION with God as Father by invitation, not force – John 3:16-17

This is of first importance 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Christ died for our sins (which SEPARATED us from God) according to the scriptures to pay for our mess, our sin.

He was buried, being really dead, in our place, burying our old selfish ways.

He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures so that we could live a new life, now CONNECTED to God.

How should I respond? Romans 10:9-10

Admit that I have done wrong, sinned, messed up by going my own way. I am SEPARATED from God – my problem

Believe (accept) in my heart that Christ died (to pay for my wrongdoing and fix the mess) and was raised again by God so that I could be CONNECTED to God – the solution

Confirm out loud that I want to be CONNECTED to Christ through Him being the leader and Lord of my life – accepting the solution

Born again from above – John 3:3

This means that I become born a second time ̶ born from above, of the Spirit into an eternal spiritual family as a son or daughter of Father God to live CONNECTED to Him in His family for the ages yet to come in eternity. Christ becomes my elder brother through whom I am eternally CONNECTED to God. I can now live the God kind of life (zoe).

Saved by grace (favour) Ephesians 2:8

This means that I no longer live for myself and my dreams but for Christ and His dreams. I die to myself realising that I can do nothing of value APART from Christ. I am saved by grace through faith (acceptance). This is not of myself, it is the gift of God. I am not saved primarily to be better, or to be good. I am saved to be CONNECTED to God, to live through Him, to live by the Spirit ̶ Romans 8:14

Be active in sharing your faithIt’s not God’s will that any should perish. He wants everyone to get to know Him as Father, to be CONNECTED to Him – 2 Peter 3:9 He has changed us, and we are experts in the experience of how He changed us. We should share with others what He did for us and how we are changed. As we do this we appreciate more of what we have received from God – Philemon 1:6

Be loving in how we share with othersWhen we share our experience of CONNECTION with God, we should do so with gentleness and respect – 1 Peter 3:15 We should remember that it is God’s riches of kindness, tolerance and patience that lead people to repentance – Romans 3:4We are Christ’s ambassadors as though God were making His appeal for CONNECTION through us – 2 Corinthians 5:20

Always be prepared 1 Peter 3:15-16When talking to someone, we never know where the conversation will go. We should be ready to ask leading questions of those we meet, and answer theirs. God so loves everyone that He wants them to know Him and be CONNECTED as soon as possible – 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 The truth we carry is the doorway to a beautiful eternity.

Spread the joy of salvation this Easter

You are His hands and feet, and His spokesperson to colleagues, friends and family. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news – Romans 10:15 This Easter we will also have an opportunity to talk to strangers who God loves. Let’s open the conversation trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us. Let’s spread the joy of our CONNECTION with God!