"SOUL SAVVY"

"SOUL SAVVY"

"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without the law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without the law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak,  I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.  Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker of it with you."  (I Corinthians 9:19-23)  The key to winning the world is for all of us to become "Soul Savvy!"

"We who are strong ought to bear the failings

of the weak and not to please ourselves."

(Romans 15:1)

Paul was blinded before He saw Jesus, and then when He "saw" Jesus, he was a pillar of strength to everyone he came in contact with and to us today, who read his writings.  We are all blind "before" Jesus!  We all were born in sin and shapen in iniquity.  Paul was not saying that he became a drunk to save the drunk, or that he became a drug addict to save the drug addict, or that we should act one way with these people and another way with those people.  Letusreason.org explains it this way, "Paul simply meant that he would use their own beliefs and ways to show them the truth.  So to a religious Jew, he would use the law to speak to them; to a Gentile, he would use his conscience and culture."    

Soul winning is an "Art;" it is the process of walking in another's shoes; we forget our own interests to partake of another's interest  ...  without "Sin."  The Apostle Paul never compromised his morals or beliefs to win others, but for the sake of the gospel, he forgot himself for the cause of Jesus Christ our Lord.  It's all about indistinguishing ourselves to distinguish another  ...   

Ghana



How do we become "Soul Savvy," and how do we unlock the doors of the nations of the world?  Ten out of ten times, it requires being filled with the Spirit of the ONE who is the Ultimate "Soul lover;" He is Jesus Christ.  When we repent of our sins; we are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we receive His Spirit and speak in tongues, we become like Him and the closer we get to Him, the more the world becomes our vision; all nations, kindreds and tongues become our focus, prayers, and goals.  It is difficult to be in love with Jesus Christ and not love His world!

That we might by all means save some ...

Pastor Kenneth Phillips says something extraordinary; "It's the same all over the world, a smile, a drop of blood, and a teardrop."  When we realize this and the depth of that statement really gets hold of us, "we will absolutely win some!"  Everybody in every nation, every culture, every far off land, "hurts" at some time or another, and for most nations right now, even our own, tears are falling, blood is being shed  ...  but most of all, we all need a "smile."  The Lord Jesus Christ IS the smile; He IS the rainbow after the storm; He IS the whisper of sweet peace; He IS the Joy that comes in the morning  ...  He IS!  

You're beautiful!

There's another thing that is the same all over the world  ...  the worship of Jesus Christ!  It may be in a different language, a different dance of Joy, a different style of dress, but the love of God manifested through the Holy Ghost is the same!  The Spirit of Christ produces the same facial glow, the same power in His Spirit, the same miracles, signs and wonders, the same Joy unspeakable and full of Glory, the same shout of praise, the same Hallelujah and Alleluia, the same brush of Angels' wings, the same salvation message  ...  One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism  ... One Lord and Savior of us all, Jesus Christ our Lord!

Whether you are in Latvia, Bangledesh, Ghana, Australia, India, an island in the middle of the Sea, the USA, or Timbuktu  ...  we're coming, World!  The Spirit of the Lord is coming!  We are all more alike than we think; we all know what it means to have "no more tears" in heaven.  We're learning World, we're growing, and we will win some, many many "somes," as we become more and more Soul Savvy.  We pray for you, lay our hands on the maps of "Your" world, and you know, you must know, that our tears are just like yours!

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)