Fishing, doesn't that involve worms?

I was thinking today about this letter from an atheist I read at way of the master. (you should check it out the site is full of wonderful things... http://www.wayofthemaster.com) this is the letter:

Do you consider yourself to be compassionate of other humans? If you're right, as you say you are, and believe that, then how can you sleep at night? When you speak with me you are speaking with someone who you believe is walking directly into eternal damnation into an endless onslaught of horrendous pain which your 'loving' god created, yet you stand by and do nothing.If you believe one bit that thousands every day were falling into an eternal and unreachable fate, you should be running the streets mad with rage at their blindness. That's equivalent to standing on a street corner and watching every person that passes you walk blindly directly into the path of a bus and die, yet you stand idly by and do nothing. You're just twiddling your thumbs, happy in the knowledge that one day that 'walk' signal will shine your way across the road.Think about it. Imagine the horrors Hell must have in store if the bible is true. You're just going to allow that to happen and not care about saving anyone but yourself? If you're right then you're an uncaring, unemotional and purely selfish person that has no right to talk about subjects such as love and caring.

Now I have been keen on the fishing for souls since becoming "saved" myself. In fact my friends often, in humor, refer to me as the reacher of the un-reachable because I have a passion for those who most would figure are beyond help. But this letter stirred some questions in me. Am I doing enough? Am I really trying to reach everyone I can before it is to late? If the end came tomorrow would I be satisfied with my attempts to save those around me or even still would HE be satisfied with me? What could I be doing differently? What is the best way to "FISH"? I don't have all the answers but I do know that you and me alike are called to be fishers! Jesus Himself said "Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers for men." Not Hey you, if you want to further my kingdom go ahead, if not...whatever! He cares and so should we. Not trying to reach the un-saved is the same as saying a big fat NO to God. A great friend of mine says all the time that late obedience is disobedience. So... what are you doing? What bait do you use? Do you reach out to those who need Christs message the most? Are you putting off talking about salvation with others? God said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" I know I am not doing everything I could. That letter disturbed me. I am watching as people I know in my own community are marching into the abyss. they are dying and I am not trying to reach them before they fall! I am reminded of something I read on ex-atheist.com, Our best witness is a life lived for Christ!

Lord, Please strengthen my resolve and give me the courage to talk boldly with others about your precious gift of salvation. When I am unable to speak please let my actions speak for themselves. I pray I will always live a life where others can see your light shine in me!

I found some websites on witnessing, if you need help in deciding when and how to witness to others feel free to check them out, and remember to pray... God is the one with all the answers!

http://www.allaboutgod.com/christian-witnessing.htm

http://www.victorious.org/lifedeat.htm

http://www.wayofthemaster.com/watchwitnessing.shtml#

http://www.ex-atheist.com/challenge-atheism.html

Praising His Name,

Ever just want to say NO?

Do all things with a joyful heart! This is a ruff one for me. I was, up until about 3 years ago
(when God gave me a big old slap in the head), A huge grumbling, chronic complaining, pain in every ones derriere feminist. If the "man" wanted it done he could do it himself and do my bidding at the same time. Oh how naive I was!!! My relationships were not formed on respect or even love but on convenience. I hated doing what I was told and even lashed out at the reverend who married my EX and I for even thinking of using the word "obey" any where near me. I thought of it as slavery and there was no way i was having anything to do with it! In my daily bible study, which i do via email with my sister, We were reading 1 John 5 and the verse was this:

when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

It occurred to me then, that when you love God keeping His commands is easy, because we love Him so much we would do anything he asks of us with a joyful heart. This must then be true for all other loves. If I truly love my family, I will do all the moving and packing and storing they ask of me and I will do it gladly without complaint because I love them, If I truly love my husband (hypothetical, God hasn't reveled that to me yet) I would want to do all the things he needed me to because I loved him. What an epiphany! If I could just Love my neighbour as God REQUIRES me too, man... I could be helping so many people. instead of saying, I just want to say NO for a change, why can't they get someone else to do it. I could be feeling fulfilled and joyful because I was doing something for someone I loved instead of feeling resentful and tired. Not to mention I will be doing what God asks me to do and that is the most important by far. Do all things through love and feel great about it. So the next time you are wishing you could just say NO do it yourself, remember to be thankful you have people who love you enough to ask for your help, and love them enough in return to do it with a glad heart!
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

With love in Christ,

hard times and help...

~ If there is one thing I have learned over the last few years since having become a Christian, it is that being "saved" does not in any way,shape or form mean that your life will be nothing but lollipops and roses. Bad things still happen. in some cases horrible things still happen. There is one key difference however. Once you are saved and have the understanding and love of our Saviour and God the big stuff seems smaller. Take today for example. My bills are piling up, I have to find a home for my puppy because we can't keep her, my parents are about to leave for their new home out west, I am having trouble with a friend who is trying to lead me astray and my children have decided that I am unfair and they hate me (which is an every other day occurrence when you have teens, well my teens anyway) but you know what? God loves me, He has always provided and helped me keep my sanity and if I keep myself focused on Him and not me and my issues the issues get smaller and smaller until they are gone. That is the miracle of having a personal relationship with God. He doesn't say come to me and I will make sure you never suffer again. He says come to me and you won't have to go it alone. He has my back and I have His. What an awesome God we have! It is a misconception that God will take everything that is bad or wrong or hurtful and you will never struggle again but boy oh boy i can't imagine having to have a day like today without God by my side. How did i ever live with out the knowledge of Him i will never know!

Hope your day is as blessed by His presence as mine!

The Black Sheep! Oh how times have changed!

~ Unless you were raised under a rock most of us at one time or another have felt like a black sheep in society. Not quite like the others, or maybe a little on the baaaaad side. (pardon the pun) If you are anything like me you would have gone through the wild and crazy stereo-typical teen years. I was most definitely the black sheep. Life was not good, I did not feel blessed, I was alone (aside that is from the many friends I had that were also going down the big wide path to a fiery demise) I felt like life hated me, like God hated me. I wasn't a believer and most definitely wasn't saved, however (in hind sight) I realize now that even when I was the worst of sinners God had a plan for me, He was watching out for me even when I denied Him. Once God starts a work in you He will finish! What a blessing that is. All those times when I could have been killed, when my daughter had major brain surgery and should have died but lived, when I narrowly escaped really bad situation after bad situation... All of this was God's work. He new me before I was formed and His plan all along has been for me to be His. One of the flock, once lost, found and saved by grace! Because of my devious past I really feel strongly about witnessing to teens and young adults who are traipsing down the road to ruin. I was fortunate enough to have someone in my life who was relentless in her attempts to pluck me from the fire, I only pray that God will use me in the same way. So, times have really changed and so has my life. God has miraculously changed me from an out of control addict to a self controlled believer, from a rebellious feminist to an obedient follower, from a scared and cowardly atheist to a strong and faithful witness. All things are possible through Him, our Redeemer and Saviour! Praise the Lord for His unfailing, unwavering love for the lost and broken black sheep.

God Bless you and yours,