Love Lost Souls

Matthew 5:14-16

James 5:20

 

Loving lost souls is a great way for us to ignite a flame for Christ.

 

But let’s be honest:

 

It is hard to love people who make fun of your faith and don’t want anything to do with you. It is challenging to show grace to people who mock and persecute you. Those that bully you at school or in your community because you’re a Christian. Yet God expects us to love them anyway. The word of God tells us to love one another, including those who despise us.

 

But what do you do when you want to ignite a flame of Christ in your society? When God is telling you to reach out to such people and share the gospel with them? You will have to rise above the hate and the kind of treatment you get from these people so that you can be able to love them just like Christ loved us while we were yet sinners.

 

We should not look down on such people like the Pharisees did. We should be like our Lord Jesus, who showed love and compassion to these people. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance.

 

It is through his compassion and acts of kindness that Jesus was able to draw these people to himself and to the kingdom of God. We need to be like our Savior if we want unbelievers to accept Jesus as their personal savior. We need to love the lost instead of judging and condemning them.

 

Is there someone in your family that has not given their life to Christ?  How are you treating that person?  Know any students or youth in your church that have not given their lives to Christ?  Do you show them love, or are you busy judging and condemning them?  Do you show them acts of kindness, or do you point out bible verses about hell to them every chance you get?

 

The Bible says love covers a multitude of sins.  It is only by loving these people that you’re going to be able to do great exploits for the kingdom of God and transform your life and the lives of others around you. See, sometimes you don’t need to preach to people. Most unbelievers are drawn to the kingdom by our actions.

 

That is why we are called the light of the world and are encouraged to let our light shine in the world. Unbelievers may not listen to you as you preach to them, but they will hold you up to a certain standard and be drawn to you when they realize that you practice what you preach, so be vigilant.

 

Action:

Find someone in your community or school that does not know Christ, and with the leading of the Holy Spirit, befriend this person.  Try to draw that person into the things of God without sounding preachy or judgmental.  Ask God for guidance so that you can do it in a way that will cause them to surrender their lives to Christ. Love them by helping them with a problem they have, sharing something they need, or just listening to them as they talk.  Sometimes the only Bible some people will read is your actions.

Guard Against Emotions

Philippians 4:6-7

Galatians 5:16-17

 

At times you may feel the tangible presence of God. But there are also those times when you feel God is far away from you. You may be very excited one minute but become sad the next minute when someone tells bad news. You may be happy when your favorite teacher comes to class but be sad and withdrawn when you have to study your least favorite subject.

 

You may enjoy spending time with God and reading his word today, but wake up the next day and find yourself struggling to say a short prayer and read a verse in the Bible.  At times you may feel like you are moving to new levels spiritually, but there are also those times when you find yourself struggling with a particular sin or weakness.

 

Our emotions are not always steady. Sometimes they are up, and other times they are down. Why is that? It is because our feelings are influenced by other factors.

 

But the thing is, our commitment to God should not be determined by our emotions. We should serve God and put love and reverence for Him. Our relationship with Him should not be determined by external factors.

 

Jesus left the comfort of heaven and came to earth, where he was rejected by the very people he created. Our Lord did not enjoy going through crucifixion. He knew how painful it would be, but Jesus did not focus on the pain and humiliation he was going to go through. He focused on the purpose of him going to the cross, which was saving us from eternal damnation.

 

To ignite a flame for Christ in your life and others, you need to be willing to understand and not allow your emotions to control you like Jesus Christ.  Our feelings can lie and confuse us.  But when we learn how to rise up above our emotions and focus on Jesus, we end up doing great exploits for God’s kingdom.

 

Learn how to serve God when you are happy and when it is the last thing that you feel like doing.  Trust God when things are working for you, and even when things are working against you.  At the end of the day, our Christian walk is not about how we feel but about what God says about himself and us.  Remember, we walk by faith, not by sight, and definitely not by our feelings.

 

 

Action:

Have you been avoiding praying because you don’t feel like it?  Or maybe you know that you need to preach to someone, but you haven’t. Today choose to rise above your feelings. Do what God is telling you even though you do not feel like praying, reading the word, or spreading the gospel.  Find someone that needs encouragement and share the gospel with them even if it is the last thing you want to do.  Let them know that God loves them so much, and he is there for them no matter what.

Let Go of Christian Traditions and Religion

James 1:26-27

Matthew 23:23

 

You have probably heard this Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship with God. And rightly so. Jesus did not come to talk about religion. He preached about the kingdom of God, which starts when we accept Him as our Lord and savior.

 

A look through the gospels and you will realize that Jesus was hard on the Pharisees? He did not sugarcoat things when he spoke to them.  These were religious leaders and teachers of the law. They knew the law and were committed to the things of God, or so it seemed.  But Jesus called them snakes and vipers. But why was that?

 

While the Pharisees knew the law well, they didn’t practice it fully. They turned the things God intended for good into traditions and religion.  They were using the law to fulfill their own selfish desires and to control others.

 

If you want to be on fire for God, you need to be a follower of Jesus and not just a religious person. Religion will blind you from the great things God has done and is doing in your life and the lives of other Christians. When you focus on religion, you find yourself straying away from what God expects you to do.

 

The truth is you cannot be on fire for God and religious at the same time.  In order for you to ignite a flame for Christ, you need to be willing to do things that may not go well with religious people.  Jesus healed on the Sabbath and dined with sinners. That did not go well with the Pharisees because a holy and learned person was not supposed to associate with sinners.

 

Christian traditions and religion will block you from spreading the gospel to the world effectively. You will be so keen on observing traditions that have been set in place instead of doing things God’s way.

 

For example, Christian tradition may tell you not to associate with people who have tattoos or have colored hair because they’re not fit to be Christians.  Maybe you have been made to believe that some things ended in the Old Testament. They don’t apply to us today. But imagine if Jesus was here today. Would he send these people away if they came to listen to Him or seek healing?  If you want to ignite the flame for Christ, especially among the youth in your school or church, you need to forgo some things and do exactly what God is telling you.

 

Action:

You may have to befriend some people that do not fit in the Christian Community.  Yes, you may feel out of place or uncomfortable doing it, but since it is God telling you to do it, go ahead and befriend such people to ignite a flame for Christ in them. God may put a particular song in your heart, and it may not go well with religious people but sing it anyway because, at the end of the day, you have to glorify God and not man.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

2 Corinthians 10:12

Galatians 1:10

 

In the world of likes, followers, and comments, it is easy for us to get caught up in the trap of comparison. You may be comparing yourself to your friends. You spend time following their lives. You want to know how many people they have led to Christ, what their prayer life is like, and whether they are living in secret sin or not.

 

At school, you may find yourself in the web of comparing your performance with others. Competition is good. It helps you to put in the work so that you can get good grades. But as children of God, we need to understand that there is such a thing as bad competition.

 

If you are cheating, lying, and slandering people so that you can be loved by others and they can be hated, then know that you’re not only sinning against others, but you’re sinning against God. We are supposed to love one another, and our loved ones should be a source of encouragement.

 

The word of God says that those who compare themselves to others are foolish.  If you want to ignite a flame for Christ in your life and in the body of Christ, you should not make the mistake of comparing yourself to others.  Yes, other people might be spiritually mature than you.  Your friend might be at a higher level in spiritual matters than you.

 

Or maybe the Christians you hang around live double standard lives, but they seem to be doing okay. They are drawing more lives to Christ even though they’re living in known sin, and you keep wondering why you should be different.  Why should you be on fire for God when others are not even trying, and they seem to be so comfortable?

 

Well, remember that God will judge you alone.  Come judgment day, God will not ask you whether the group you belong to obeyed him.  You will stand before the throne of God alone and give an account for your own life.

 

The Bible uses silver, gold, and wood to show our differences and how God uses our uniqueness to accomplish his purposes in life.  That means that you don’t have to be like every other person for you to ignite the flame of Christ.  You do not have to pray for one hour just because someone else prays for one hour.  You do not have to spend three hours in the Bible like your youth leader.  You have to relate to God in a way that works for you.  Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and let him show you how to connect with God so that you can be able to ignite a flame that will never be put out with the things of this world.

 

Action:

Find out how God speaks to you and which way is he telling you to go? Does he talk to you audibly, through visions and dreams, or any other way? Ask God to show you how he wants you to ignite a flame for his Son Jesus and then follow the steps he tells you.

Check Your Heart

Jeremiah 17:9

Proverbs 27:19

 

Why do you want to ignite a flame for Christ? Is it because you have seen other people doing it? Are you doing it because you want a particular position in your Youth group? Do you want to ignite a flame for Christ because you care about others and want them to know God so that they can have eternal life? Or are you doing it as a way of getting right with God so that he can forgive you?

 

We need to check our hearts from time to time to know what is driving us to do certain things. The Bible says that the heart is deceitful. Meaning that you may think that you are on the right path when doing certain things but later find out that your heart was not in the right place concerning that issue.

 

There are times we may want to do things, but the intention behind it may not align with God’s will for our lives and his kingdom. But I want to ignite a fire for Christ, isn’t that good enough, you may ask? Well, it is good, and God wants all his children to do that to advance his kingdom.

 

However, just because you want doesn’t mean that you should not check your heart. See, there may be things that will hinder you from igniting the fire of Jesus. You may have hidden issues in your heart like anger, fear, pride, and bitterness that may hinder you from accomplishing that.

 

Checking your heart first before taking this critical step will help you discover hidden things you need to deal with first. For example, if someone hurt you in the past and you’re still bitter towards them, you need to deal with that first. If you don’t, the enemy may use the bitterness in your heart against you to ensure that you fail in reigniting a flame of Christ not just in your life but also in the lives of others.

 

You may be working towards igniting a fire for God for yourself. You want others to glorify you just like they do a particular preacher that you admire. We need to be careful. Our fallen nature causes us to have misguided motivations when serving God. On a surface level, it may seem like we have a desire to advance the kingdom of God, but our hearts may be craving attention. Or maybe you really want to ignite a fire for Christ, but your heart is full of doubt and fear.

 

Check your heart and make sure that your desires and actions are motivated by your love for Jesus.

 

Action:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything in your heart that may be holding you back from igniting a flame of Christ.  If you’re already building intimacy with God, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you wrong things in your heart that may open up doors for the enemy to come and block you from moving forward with your relationship with God. Tell God to cleanse your heart from bitterness, anger, and pride so that you can serve Him faithfully.

The True Meaning of Worship

Exodus 23:25

John 4:24

 

What comes to your mind when the word worship is mentioned?

 

Music, lifting up holy hands, prayer, kneeling down, clapping, and dancing. Maybe, I missed out something that came into your mind. But those are some of the most common things that come to mind when we think about worshipping God.

 

There are so many different ways that we can worship our heavenly Father. Great worship music plus a great worship leader that knows how to coordinate everyone, and everything causes us to enjoy worship, right?

 

But did you know that there is more to worshipping God than singing, kneeling, and raising your hands up? Worshipping God starts from the heart. It is not really about what is going on outwardly but about what is going on in our hearts.

 

God had a problem with the children of Israel because they worshipped him with their lips, but their hearts were far from him. It is easy for us to get caught up with religious acts and start worshipping God with our lips and not our hearts. But God sees our hearts, and he knows us inside out.

 

See, it is one thing to clap or lift your hands because the worship leader has told you to do that. It is another altogether when you are doing it out of reverence for God. True worship causes us to stop focusing on ourselves and what is going on around us. It draws us to God alone.

 

Our worship should be out of reverence, not mechanical. As we go before God’s presence, we need to know the truth about him so that  our worship can be based on the truth found in God’s word and not guesswork or religious duty.

 

When we make it a point to incline our hearts to God and be fully submitted to Him, our intimacy with him deepens, and we are able to enjoy our relationship with him. This, in turn, ignites a flame for Christ in our hearts and lives.  Note that you do not have to be perfect for you to worship God in spirit and truth.  Go to God just the way you are and allow him to work through you and in you.

 

Action:

From today make worship part of their everyday life. It should not be something that you do on Sundays only.  Let your actions, thoughts, and words bring glory to God. When you go to church, do it because you want to go and spend time with God. Let it be an act of worship and not a way of keeping your parents from nagging you or seeing friends.  As you spend time with the Lord, be real with him about your thoughts towards him and allow him to refine you so that you can worship him in spirit and in truth.

 

In your free time, listen to worship music and sing along. This will stir your heart, and the messages in those songs will cause you to see Jesus in a different light.

Focus on Eternity

John 5:24

Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

There is a famous saying that goes begin with the end in mind.  We are often told that the best way to accomplish things in this world is to do them with an end in mind.   Some of us know exactly what we want to be when we grow up.  So we are going to school and taking subjects that will enable us to achieve what we want.

 

In Deuteronomy 30:15-20, God gives us options.  He has given us two choices: death and life.  When we live independent of him, we shall experience death, and when we depend on him, we shall experience life and prosperity. Meaning that all of us have a choice in life. We choose how to live our lives, but we should always remember that each option has repercussions.

 

You may be young and think that it is not really vital for you to think about the end right now but remember that none of us is promised tomorrow. Another thing to remember is that Jesus can come back anytime, so we need to be ready. Before you go to hang out with that click of friends who are engaging in drugs and immorality, take time to think about the end. What will be the consequences of your actions? Will they take you to heaven, or will they take you to hell?

 

When your friends want you to go against your faith and values, you should take a minute to reflect on that.  Think about the consequences.  Is what you are about to do good in the sight of God?  Will it bring glory to him and cause you to enjoy the crown of life at the end of time? If you went drunk driving with your friends and something happened to you, where will you spend your eternity?

 

We serve a merciful God, but we need to also understand that God is a righteous judge. He will judge us accordingly. We should not live recklessly, thinking that we have all the time in the world just because we are young.  Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 tells us to enjoy our youth, to be happy when we are still young. But it also tells us that God will judge us in whatever we do.

 

Focusing on eternity will help you to make the right decisions in your life. It will also ignite a flame of Christ in your heart, for you will have a deep desire to live a life that is pleasing unto God. Not just that, but you will have a longing to tell others about the kingdom of God, and this will, in turn, ignite a fire for God in the body of Christ and the world.

 

Action:

Before making any decision think about the repercussions of the choices, you’re about to make.  When you do anything, do it with the end in mind.  Ask yourself if what you’re about to do will draw you close to Christ.  Will you get the crown of life at the end of time if you take that road?  Or will the decision cause you to miss out on eternal life?

Serve People in Your Community

Luke 3:10-11

Hebrews 13:16

 

Did you know that serving others will help you to ignite the flame for Christ not just in your personal life but also in other people’s lives? Well, I know being around many people causes some of us to feel drained and overwhelmed. Some of us enjoy keeping our own company.

 

But here is the thing we are here to serve others. We have a great commission, which is to go out there and spread the Gospel of Christ.  It means that helping others is part of the Christian life, and we cannot run away from it.

 

Now, serving people doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to become a pastor or an evangelist.  God has given us different gifts, so there is no one way to serve others. Asking God for guidance on how he wants you to help people in your community and the world is very important. It will enable you to be an influential person in the kingdom.

 

The beauty in serving others is you get to interact with so many people and find out how they relate to God, the challenges they are facing, and the testimonies in their lives.  All this will help to ignite a fire and cause you to want to know God more.  Yes, it might be hard to interact with others and share the gospel with them given the fact that you are still young, but you do not have to be afraid for greater is He that’s in you than he that is in the world.

 

Find people within your community in your neighborhood that needs help. By helping them, you can interact with these people and know where they stand in terms of their faith. It also opens up a door for you to spread the gospel to them. You may not even have to preach to them. You just have to do what you’re doing, like cleaning their compounds, and when they see you doing this, they will be drawn to you and want to know why you are so different from the rest of the world.

 

They say it is the small kinds of kindness that make a difference in the world.  Well, today, choose to serve people through your deeds and words, and they will be drawn to you and, in essence, to the kingdom of God. Remember, we are the light of the world, and it is through our deeds that some people are drawn to God and his kingdom.

 

 

 

 

Action:

Find two to three people in your neighborhood that need help.  There may be elderly people or people with special needs that need someone to help them with their house chores or to talk to them. Spend time with these people, and when you get a chance, share the gospel with them.  You don’t have to preach or anything. Just ask the Holy Spirit for help. Doing this will ignite a fire in you and also in other people’s lives.

Surrender to the Leading of the Holy Spirit

John 14:26

Romans 8:26

 

For us to know a particular subject in school we need help from our teachers, right? If you want to know Math, you will have to attend Math classes, the same is true for every other subject. Similarly, if you need to understand spiritual matters, you need a teacher who understands spiritual matters. That is why Jesus said he would send us the Holy Spirit to teach us all things.

 

The Christian walk is impossible without the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts our hearts of sin so that we can turn from our sinful ways and give our lives to Christ. But his role in our lives doesn’t stop there. We need the Holy Spirit to help us in our daily lives. That is why he is called the helper.

 

Okay, just like the Pharisees, some people appear to be zealous for God, but they’re not. They have some form of godliness but are not submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit and cannot ignite the flame of Christ in their lives or the kingdom of God.

 

To be on fire for God, we need to be led by the Holy Spirit. He knows the deep things of God. He can also search our minds and reveal to us the things that may hinder us from experiencing the fullness of God. You will never understand scripture without the help of the Holy Spirit. Sure other people like pastors and spiritually mature Christians can help you understand it, but they don’t do it with their own strength. They also need the Holy Spirit to help them.

 

Another thing to note is that it is the Holy Spirit that helps us to pray. Yes, we can choose to pray without the Holy Spirit’s help, but if we really desire to ignite a flame for Christ, we need to pray according to God’s will. The only person who can help us to pray according to God’s will is the Holy Spirit.

 

If you desire to be like David, Paul, Elijah, Peter, Esther, Daniel, and our Lord Jesus, then you need to surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to take over. He will lead you in truth and tell you what Jesus tells him. Let the Holy Spirit be your counselor, teacher, and best friend. Doing so will enable him to control your mind, words, actions, and attitudes.

 

 

Allow him to transform your spiritual life so that you can become bold like Elijah and Elisha. When the Spirit of God is in control of your life, he will reveal your spiritual gift(s) so that you can use them to serve God and ignite a flame of Christ in God’s kingdom.

 

Action

Ask the Holy Spirit to take over your life and teach you all things. Surrender to his leading and quit trying to lead yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you things that are blocking you from serving God faithfully.

The Sacrifice of Praise

Psalm 150:6

Psalm 100:4-5

 

For us to be on fire for God, we need to be close to him. We need to have an intimate relationship with him. One of the ways that we can draw near to God is through praise.

 

The word of God tells us to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. This means that praise gives us access to the throne of God. It enables us to draw near to him, and the Bible says that when we draw near to God, he will also draw near us. A look into the Bible, and you will see that great things happened when people drew near to God. Enemies were defeated, lives were transformed, and the kingdom of God expanded.

 

When we praise God, our frustrations in life are neutralized, and we end up being productive in life. It could be that you are struggling to ignite a flame of Christ in your life because of the different challenges you are facing at school or at home. Maybe you are struggling with a particular subject. It could be that your family is on the verge of breaking up because your parents are considering divorce. Perhaps your guardian is not treating you well.

 

It is hard to focus on God and praise Him when bad things are happening around you. It is easy to complain and look for other options instead of praising God. But whining and looking for other options will not give you permanent solutions. Instead of getting depressed, how about shifting your focus to the one who will rescue you from that problem?

 

Stop focusing on what is happening and focus on the one who created you. When you draw close to God, your frustrations and fears will start to drop, and your faith in the Lord will become stronger in faith.

 

When God assured King Jehosaphat that he would fight on behalf of Israel in 2 Chronicles 20, the King told his people to sing praises to God, and when they did, their enemies were destroyed by the Lord. When Paul and Silas were sent to prison for spreading the gospel, Acts 16:16-40, they sang praises to God at midnight, and the prison doors were opened. Not just that, the lives of the jailer and his family were transformed as they gave their lives to Christ.

 

It is not just our situation that changes when we praise God. Unbelievers who monitor our Christian walk also become transformed. When some unbelieving students see you praising God when all odds are against you, they will want to know this God that you serve. Not just that but some of them will give their lives to Him. When this happens, the flame of Christ will not only be ignited in your life but in your community and the world.

 

Action:

There are so many different ways that we can praise God. Find what works for you, or better still, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. You can praise God with music, the Psalms of David, or with heavenly tongues. Make praise part of your prayer life.