a Gift

The world is waiting for you to give your gifts — don’t bury them!

So... What talents do you have? And are you hiding them out of fear?

No matter what, God has given you something — and He wants you to use it!

“God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10).

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How to be a CAUSE for Thanksgiving‏

“When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples.

This brings great glory to My Father”

(John 15:8)

Did you know that one small act from you could CHANGE someone’s LIFE? When I was a teenager, hard-hearted toward God, a Christian told me he was praying for me and that God had a great plan for my life. I had thought God wanted nothing to do with me, and that man told me it couldn’t be further from the truth. That small seed of hope grew into a tree of faith that completely changed my life. I am so thankful to Mark Coffin for showing me Jesus’ love.

When you show God’s love to someone, you are planting a seed in their life—and the potential is tremendous. Jesus said His kingdom is “like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants” (Mark 4:31,32). Like Mark with me, your small act of kindness could change someone’s eternal destiny. Take a moment to think about someone who needs encouragement and how you could show God’s love to them.

Unimaginable Impact

Now, imagine you were not alone in showing Jesus’ love, but joined with Christians all around the world. It’s the difference between one person planting a fruit tree in their yard and a person on every street doing it. If we all joined together, the world could be full of life.

What if we could link the 1-2 billion Christians to do united acts of God’s love to those around us, everyday? That is the vision behind JET: Jesus, Everywhere, Together. Through Facebook and Twitter (each hotlinks), we will be sending you JET moments. It might be a call to pray for your neighbor, or a prompt to tell someone about Jesus’ love. We will join together all around the world to do them and update each other on our stories. Jesus said to us, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). Imagine how much light in the world we can produce if we all band together!

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Gift from God

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“Whoever has will be given more;

whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him”

(Mark 4:25)

Have you ever thrown money away?

Sometimes I see small coins lying around the house and want to throw them away, just for a cleaning quick-fix. However, I recently found out that it is illegal to permanently discard or destroy money!

Did you know it’s illegal in God’s Kingdom too?

But your currency isn’t paper bills or coins: it’s your gifts and abilities. Jesus told a story about three servants who were given different amounts of money by their master.

The two with the most invested it and gained more, but the one with the least hid it in the ground out of fear. When the master returned, he congratulated and promoted the two profitable servants, but said about the scared servant, “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 25:28,29).

What talents do you have?

And are you hiding them out of fear? No matter what, God has given you something—and He wants you to use it! “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10).

The greatest use of any gift is to bring glory to God so that others will want to know Him. Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Here are some possible talents He might have given you:

- Exhortation

- Giving

- Leadership

- Mercy

- Prophecy

- Service

- Teaching

Your gifts could also be in the form of art, music, communication, education, or connections.

Do you need help figuring out how to use your gift?

First of all, ask God because He wants to help you. But secondly, we want to help you too! Respond to this e-mail and ask for guidance from an Online Missionary on how to use your gifts.

The goal is that, at the end of days, Jesus would say to you: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!”

The world is waiting for you to give your gifts—don’t bury them!

So, let’s pray that:

- We would know how God has gifted us individually

- We would have courage to step out and use our gifts

- We would use our gifts to benefit the world

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The Greatest Gift You Can Give God‏

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Scripture : “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God” (Psalm 51:16,17)

So : God has saved you from Hell, freed you from judgment for all your sins, given His wonderful Spirit to live inside of you, and is preparing a place for you in Heaven. This probably makes you want to say “Thank you!” However…

What do you get for the person who has everything?

If you’ve ever tried to find a gift for someone who already has it all, you know how hard it can be. Now what about for God? He said, “For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). All the cattle on a thousand hills—that’s hard to beat!

But this reminds me of when I was a little girl.

There was nothing of any material value I could give my dad to show my love; I didn’t have any money! So I gave what I could: cards telling him how much I love him; pictures I painted for him; “coupons” to spend time with me; and kindness to my brother. These things meant more to him than anything I could ever buy. In fact, to this day, he still has some of the things I made him, and when asked what he wants for his birthday, he says, “Peace at home.”

God is the same way.

King David said to God, “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God” (Psalm 51:16,17). What He really wants is heartfelt love from you and care for others. Just like my handmade cards and pictures, here are gifts that God loves:

• Tell Him how much You Love and Appreciate Him : God said, “But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me” (Psalm 50:23). That’s what I was doing when I drew my dad little cards expressing my love.
• Spend Time with Him : “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). God wants to spend time with you just like my dad loves to spend time with me!
• Do What He Asks : Jesus said, “If you love Me, obey My commandments” (John 14:15). Would you believe your friend loved you if you always did things that he hated?
• Care for Others : Jesus said, “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me'” (Matthew 25:40). When you do something kind for someone else, it’s like you’re doing it for Jesus.
• Live in Peace with Others : “Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose” (Philippians 2:2). Just like my dad wants peace at home, God wants peace amongst His children. Show Him your love by being kind and forgiving towards others.

These are just a few ways to show God how much you love and appreciate Him

What’s your way? Just like my dad loved my little pictures and gifts, God loves the unique way you show Him your love. Let us know how you show your love to God!

So, this week, let’s pray that:

• We would truly realize how much God has done for us
• We would show Him our love for Him and bring Him happiness
• We would be full of gratitude for what God has done for us

“Heavenly Father, I want to know u more, to serve u more and more”

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Find Where You Belong‏

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“And now that you belong to Christ,

you are the true children of Abraham.

You are His heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you”

(Galatians 3:29)

Now that you believe in Jesus, where do you belong?

Think about the difference between a sports fan and an actual player on the team. The fan gets to cheer from the sidelines, but a player gets to experience the game. He trains with the team, gets deep camaraderie, and feels the amazing joy of winning. When the first believers put their faith in Jesus, they formed an incredible community, much like a team: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

God has a place for you to belong on the team.

He wants you to experience the fulfillment of deep friendship with other believers, the training from spiritual coaches, and the joy of winning as a team. I remember how intensely my life changed when I became a part of a church: I went from being a casual believer on the sidelines to being a full participant in the game, and my joy level went from 0 to 100. Now I want the same for you!

Here are some ways that you can belong and experience the amazing joy of being on a team :

• Join a Church : Meeting with a local group of believers will give you the amazing benefits of a spiritual family.
• Join a Bible Study : Study the Bible, ask questions, and pray together in an online small group.
• Join Chapel : Join with other believers anytime to worship and learn about Jesus. Inspiring worship music, great preaching, and live prayer.

Hopefully these opportunities are helpful to you!

So, let’s pray together that:

• We would find other Christians to join together with
• We would help newer believers grow in their faith in God

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Take Up Your Mat and Walk

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:11-12)

Have you ever had a friend say sorry to you over and over, even after you’ve already forgiven them?

It’s insulting. In repeatedly apologizing, they’re saying, “I’m not sure if you’ve really forgiven me; I still feel guilty.” In essence, they’re doubting your word.

Imagine how much more insulting it is to God!

Psalm 103:12 says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Just think how far the east is from the west. It’s basically infinity—the two can never meet. So, imagine for a moment, you and your sins bound together. Then God comes and separates the two of you, sending your sin traveling to the west and you to the east. But maybe you haven’t truly let go of your guilt.

Look what Jesus did:

“Some people brought to Him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘Be encouraged, My child! Your sins are forgiven.’ But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, ‘That’s blasphemy! Does He think He’s God?’ Jesus knew what they were thinking, so He asked them, ‘Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.’ Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’ And the man jumped up and went home!” (Matthew 9:2-7).

Now, say the newly-healed man went home with his mat and laid on it, continuing to live like he was still paralyzed.

That’s what you might be doing with your sins! Jesus has said to you, “My child, be encouraged! Your sins are forgiven! Now get up and experience life in freedom!” But you can’t fully believe it, so you lay back down on your mat of paralysis and depression, missing out on what God has for you. I have been like that. But God is making this verse real to me: “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36).

And He wants to make it real for you.

Ask Him right now to help you truly know that your sins are forgiven. Ask Him to help you take up your mat and walk in the fulfilling life He has for you. There is so much He has planned for you to do! Today is the day for you to take up your mat and walk.

So, let’s pray that :

• We would experience true separation from our past.
• We would take up our mat and walk in God’s great will.
• We begin to run with the vision God has given us.

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What Beats Cause and Effect?

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“But God showed His great love for us

by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners”

(Romans 5:8)

They say “What comes around goes around.”

That describes the law of Cause and Effect. The Bible says it another way: “A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). What have you been sowing? Peace, love, and kindness—all of the time? If so, you’re in luck.

But if not, what fate awaits you? This is a tricky one, for the biblical principle of sowing and reaping still stands. However, there is a higher law

Forgiveness trumps Cause and Effect—every time.

When Jesus was hanging on the cross—mid-crucifixion—He said to God on your behalf, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34).

Can you believe it? It’s hard enough for me to forgive someone after they’ve hurt me, let alone while they are doing it. But in the middle of crucifixion, being tortured and killed as the Son of God for coming to save His own people, Jesus stands in the gap and tells God: I’m asking you not to hold it against them; they don’t know what they’re doing.

If you’re banking on your deeds to save you or condemn you, think again:

The fact is, you have not done more good than bad: quite the opposite. And if you’re hoping your good deeds are going to set you up for a good afterlife, guess again. Concerning Cause and Effect, we all deserve

Hell. That is the proper application of “What comes around goes around.” But there’s a higher law—Jesus’ law of love and forgiveness. The Bible says, “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). When He died for you, His sacrifice stretched over your sins and covered them completely, like a thick blanket.

Jesus completely absorbed your punishment. In doing so He wasn’t saying, “Oh, no more sowing and reaping; that rule is getting tossed out.” Instead, He said, “I’m going to take their punishment.

They’re going to get the positive consequences for my perfect actions (Heaven) and I’m going to take the dreadful consequences for their actions (crucifixion).” He took your Cause and Effect and gave you His instead.

Now, who do you need to forgive? Jesus said it plainly, “But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins” (Mark 11:26). By holding on to a grudge, you’re disqualifying yourself from Jesus’ forgiveness. Instead of holding a grudge, let someone have the grace Jesus gave you. Say, “Father forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing, just as I don’t. Thank you so much for forgiving me.”

Forgiveness is the greatest need in the world. Today, receive God’s gift of forgiveness to you and give it to someone else.

So, let’s pray together that:

• We would truly understand how forgiven we are

• We would truly forgive others from the heart

• Global Media Outreach would help many others experience Jesus’ forgiveness

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