ARE YOU A WINNER OR A LOSER?

 
 Newsletter  126

I read a joke recently in which a kindergarten teacher was playing games with her class of little children. Tommy had played a game three times and every time came up losing. This upset him so much that he refused to try again. When she attempted to get him to realize that we do not always win, he stubbornly asked her, “You are the teacher, when are you going to teach us to win?”

That is pretty much the attitude of the non-Christian world. Everyone wants his children to have more rewards in life than they had. They want them to have life long GOOD paying careers. Like Tommy, they want to learn how to be winners all the time. So, we should not wonder, then they learn to say first of all, “What’s in it for me?”

Near the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus must have been discouraged when his closest disciples had still not learned this basic fact. The mother of James and John came to him asking to have her two sons be his deputies when he came to his kingdom, and all of them had been arguing who would be the greatest among them. The rich young ruler, may have loved Jesus. Scripture says that Jesus loved him, but there was one thing he was not willing to give up in order to have salvation; his money. Even I was approached this week by the publishers of the “Cambridge Who's Who.“ The bottom line was, how much I was prepared to pay to be listed in their book. The lady dropped from a lifetime listing to a one year. I hung up before she had time to go lower. Let’s look at some of Jesus’ words on the subject.

Matthew 16:24-27 (King James Version)

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Jesus wasn’t offering wealth, or power, or position. He used words such as, “deny himself,” “take up his cross,” “lose his life,” and , ”gain the whole world .” It is strange that we have selective hearing. We hear what we want to hear, sometimes. They were hearing, ”Kingdom”, and that meant “power” and ‘honor”. They knew what kings did. They had heard the whispers of the contented crowds he had miraculously fed.

They wanted to be a prominent part of it all. Judas actually betrayed him seemingly, in attempt to manipulate him into accepting it.

That may sound to us like throwing away our lives, but Jesus said that is really the way to save it. Gain the world, and lose the soul?

I don’t think so. Jesus, who knows all, will reward faithful service when he comes in all his glory with his angels. The Christian’s rewards are not of this earth, they are heavenly, not brief, but eternal. Save our lives and leave the rest to Jesus.
_________________

Let is praise God together for his gift to us all, and share that wondrous good news everywhere we go!

 I PLEDGE TO READ MY BIBLE THROUGH AGAIN IN 2009

 FEBRUARY

8th. Sunday - Job 39-40, Matthew 26:1-30, Psalm 18:43-50
9th. Monday - Job 41,42, Matthew 26:31-56, Proverbs 4:10-19
10th. Tuesday - Exodus 1,2.3. Matthew 26:57-75, Psalm 19:1-6
11th. Wednesday - Exodus 4,5, Matthew 27:1-31, Psalm 19:7-14
12th. Thursday - Exodus 6,7,8, Matthew 27:32-66, Psalm 20
13th. Friday - Exodus 9,10, Matthew 28, Proverbs 4:20-27
14th Saturday - Exodus 11,12, Mark 1:1-27, Psalm 21:1-7

LINKS TO OUR BLOG SITES

http://47yearsinafrica.blogspot.com/ http://scripturegems.blogspot.com/ http://salvationtracts.blogspot.com/ http://searchthescriptureswithbob.blogspot.com/ http://searchingthescriptureswithbob.blogspot.com/http://bookletbiblestudies.blogspot.com/ ________________

PRAISE THE LORD !

We now have 554 blog pages  representing 70 languages.
 _______________

THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURE

"Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

Matthew 26:64
____________

CHRISTIAN GREETINGS FROM:
♥
e-cards@dayspring.com
e-movies@dayspring.com

 _______________

This mailing is now also blogged. Its’ address is http://searchingthescriptureswithbob.com/ As with all our blogs there is opportunity at the bottom of the page for you to ask questions or add comments. I will be notified, and will reply there if a reply is appropriate. Blogs are public, if you want privacy, use the e-mail link in the banner instead.
_______________

FAST FOOD

I stopped at a fast food restaurant recently. I was fascinated by a sign which offered fat free French fries. I decided to give them a try.  I was dismayed when the clerk pulled a basket of fries from the fryer, which were dripping with fat. He filled a bag with these fries and put them in my order.  "Just a minute!" I said. "Those aren't fat free." 

"Yes, they are. We only charge for the potatoes - The fat is free!"

  _________________

  GOD ♥ YOU