Monday, October 31, 2011
Thoughts About Halloween
Today is Halloween. This is my least favorite holiday. In my opinion, Halloween is the most godless day a Christian could participate in. Everything about it is utterly pagan, occult, and devilish. It's so sad to see churches involved in this day and its so called celebrations.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Weekend Sermon--Jesus' Teachings On Prayer
Mark 1:35-38
Matthew 6:5-14
Jesus came to this earth to redeem us from our sin. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave. However, this is not all Jesus came to do. He came to show us by His teachings and His actions how we are supposed to live a life that is pleasing to God. The gospels are filled with Jesus' teachings and commandments on a wide variety of subjects. This week, and next, our focus is the teachings Jesus gave to His followers on the matter of prayer.
First of all, Jesus taught us about prayer through personal example. Mark 1:35-36 records that Jesus' custom was to rise up early in the morning, go off by Himself to a secluded place, and spend time with the Father in prayer. There are several instances when Jesus went and prayed by Himself such as the night before He chose those who would be His twelve disciples. Scripture also records the fact that before Jesus walked on the water, He had been praying. Of course we also remember Jesus prayer to the Father in John chapter 17 and His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed.
Prayer was important to Jesus. It was an integral and essential part of His life. He taught the importance of prayer in the life of all of His followers by His own example.
Jesus also taught us that an active prayer life is essential for a robust, mature, and victorious Christian life. Consider this story.
While Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, the other nine disciples were having a spiritual encounter of a different sort.
A man brought his demon possessed son to the nine disciples and asked them to cast the demon out of his son. The father probably believed that since these were among Jesus' inner circle, they would know how to help his boy. The Bible doesn't say what or how the disciples tried to cast the demon out of the boy. It just tells us that they were unsuccessful.
When Jesus descended from the Mount of Transfiguration, the man and his son were still there. This man saw Jesus and said that he'd asked Jesus' disciples to heal his son, but they weren't able to do it. Upon hearing this, Jesus became very exasperated with His disciples which was very understandable. Jesus then rebuked the evil spirit, and the boy was miraculously delivered.
The nine disciples couldn't understand why they weren't able to cast out the evil spirit, so they asked Jesus about the matter. He said that that particular demon could only be cast out with prayer. I take this to mean that those nine disciples had been neglecting prayer in their lives, therefore; they were unable to walk in victory over the power of evil.
To me, this is an important word from Jesus. In order to have a victorious Christian walk, I must be a person of prayer. It is the means of staying close to the Lord.
So often, people neglect their prayer life. We cannot conquer sin and be an effective force for good in the world without filling our lives up spiritually.
Our prayer life shouldn't just consist of praying at meals or on Sunday mornings or in the mid-week services at church. The Scriptures talk about praying without ceasing. We should be in a constant attitude of prayer. We should make sure to commune with God through prayer on a daily basis.
Now that we've seen the importance of prayer in the life of the believer, let's focus on how Jesus taught His followers to pray. Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them how they should pray. They needed Jesus' instruction.
In the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew chapter 5 through 7, Jesus gives His disciples some of His teachings on prayer. He begins in chapter 6 verse 5 by saying that His followers aren't supposed to pray like the hypocrites pray. Jesus said that the hypocrite prays in order to make a show. He prays in public to draw attention to himself. The hypocrite isn't concerned with drawing closer to God; he is trying to impress others into thinking what a spiritual and upstanding person he is.
I think most of us who have gone to church for very long know what Jesus is talking about here. Sometimes you will here some very flowery prayers or other types of prayers that you know are just to impress someone. It's part of the church show so to speak.
Now I'm sure Jesus isn't saying that prayer in public is always wrong. Jesus Himself prayed in public most notably when He raised Lazarus from the dead. He also prayed and gave thanks for the food when He feed the multitudes. The Old Testament is full of examples of public prayer.
Jesus is saying that when we pray our focus should be on God and our relationship with Him. We shouldn't be trying to impress or try to be something we are not.
When Jesus speaks about doing our praying in private, I think that He means we should pray what we can pray between us and God and not draw attention to ourselves. For instance, I've seen some people in restaurants pray really loud so that those around them could hear that they were praying. This isn't necessary. Just pray to God. It shouldn't be a show.
In chapter 6 verse 7 of Matthew, Jesus says that when we pray , we shouldn't just babble on like pagans saying the same thing over and over again. The Lord hears us when we talk to Him. There is no need to keep repeating ourselves. What I think Jesus has in mind here is the repetition of phrases or mantras to try to get God to act as if that's possible through some formula or incantation.
Prayer is talking to the Lord. We don't have to have special words, positions, or formulas in order to get God's attention.
Next week, we will exam in depth the Lord's Prayer and what Jesus is trying to teach us through it. Amen.
Matthew 6:5-14
Jesus came to this earth to redeem us from our sin. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered death, hell, and the grave. However, this is not all Jesus came to do. He came to show us by His teachings and His actions how we are supposed to live a life that is pleasing to God. The gospels are filled with Jesus' teachings and commandments on a wide variety of subjects. This week, and next, our focus is the teachings Jesus gave to His followers on the matter of prayer.
First of all, Jesus taught us about prayer through personal example. Mark 1:35-36 records that Jesus' custom was to rise up early in the morning, go off by Himself to a secluded place, and spend time with the Father in prayer. There are several instances when Jesus went and prayed by Himself such as the night before He chose those who would be His twelve disciples. Scripture also records the fact that before Jesus walked on the water, He had been praying. Of course we also remember Jesus prayer to the Father in John chapter 17 and His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed.
Prayer was important to Jesus. It was an integral and essential part of His life. He taught the importance of prayer in the life of all of His followers by His own example.
Jesus also taught us that an active prayer life is essential for a robust, mature, and victorious Christian life. Consider this story.
While Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, the other nine disciples were having a spiritual encounter of a different sort.
A man brought his demon possessed son to the nine disciples and asked them to cast the demon out of his son. The father probably believed that since these were among Jesus' inner circle, they would know how to help his boy. The Bible doesn't say what or how the disciples tried to cast the demon out of the boy. It just tells us that they were unsuccessful.
When Jesus descended from the Mount of Transfiguration, the man and his son were still there. This man saw Jesus and said that he'd asked Jesus' disciples to heal his son, but they weren't able to do it. Upon hearing this, Jesus became very exasperated with His disciples which was very understandable. Jesus then rebuked the evil spirit, and the boy was miraculously delivered.
The nine disciples couldn't understand why they weren't able to cast out the evil spirit, so they asked Jesus about the matter. He said that that particular demon could only be cast out with prayer. I take this to mean that those nine disciples had been neglecting prayer in their lives, therefore; they were unable to walk in victory over the power of evil.
To me, this is an important word from Jesus. In order to have a victorious Christian walk, I must be a person of prayer. It is the means of staying close to the Lord.
So often, people neglect their prayer life. We cannot conquer sin and be an effective force for good in the world without filling our lives up spiritually.
Our prayer life shouldn't just consist of praying at meals or on Sunday mornings or in the mid-week services at church. The Scriptures talk about praying without ceasing. We should be in a constant attitude of prayer. We should make sure to commune with God through prayer on a daily basis.
Now that we've seen the importance of prayer in the life of the believer, let's focus on how Jesus taught His followers to pray. Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them how they should pray. They needed Jesus' instruction.
In the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew chapter 5 through 7, Jesus gives His disciples some of His teachings on prayer. He begins in chapter 6 verse 5 by saying that His followers aren't supposed to pray like the hypocrites pray. Jesus said that the hypocrite prays in order to make a show. He prays in public to draw attention to himself. The hypocrite isn't concerned with drawing closer to God; he is trying to impress others into thinking what a spiritual and upstanding person he is.
I think most of us who have gone to church for very long know what Jesus is talking about here. Sometimes you will here some very flowery prayers or other types of prayers that you know are just to impress someone. It's part of the church show so to speak.
Now I'm sure Jesus isn't saying that prayer in public is always wrong. Jesus Himself prayed in public most notably when He raised Lazarus from the dead. He also prayed and gave thanks for the food when He feed the multitudes. The Old Testament is full of examples of public prayer.
Jesus is saying that when we pray our focus should be on God and our relationship with Him. We shouldn't be trying to impress or try to be something we are not.
When Jesus speaks about doing our praying in private, I think that He means we should pray what we can pray between us and God and not draw attention to ourselves. For instance, I've seen some people in restaurants pray really loud so that those around them could hear that they were praying. This isn't necessary. Just pray to God. It shouldn't be a show.
In chapter 6 verse 7 of Matthew, Jesus says that when we pray , we shouldn't just babble on like pagans saying the same thing over and over again. The Lord hears us when we talk to Him. There is no need to keep repeating ourselves. What I think Jesus has in mind here is the repetition of phrases or mantras to try to get God to act as if that's possible through some formula or incantation.
Prayer is talking to the Lord. We don't have to have special words, positions, or formulas in order to get God's attention.
Next week, we will exam in depth the Lord's Prayer and what Jesus is trying to teach us through it. Amen.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Verse For the Day
Isaiah 55:1--"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
Monday, October 24, 2011
Day Of Discovery
The program on the Day of Discovery broadcast this Sunday was excellent. They had a biography of Oswald Chambers who wrote My Utmost for His Highest. I have read this book, which is very good, but I didn't know anything about the author's life. I think you can view this program on the Day of Discovery website.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Weekend Sermon--I Am With You
Matthew 28:16-20
Haggai 2:4
Hebrews 13:5
In last week's message, we looked at the last words Jesus spoke to the eleven disciples before He finished His earthly ministry and ascended to the right hand of the Father. The main part of Jesus' last words were His Great Commission commanding the disciples, and all believers, to make disciples, baptize new converts and teach them to obey Jesus' commandments. We also examined just a few of the ways we as 21st century believers can carry out the Great Commission.
One part of Jesus' final words that we didn't get a chance to look at in depth was His statement that , " surely I am with you always to the very end of the age." To me, this is a profound and comforting statement.
In its most immediate context, Jesus is letting His disciples know that as they attempted to carry out the Great Commission, He would be with them helping them to accomplish the great task before them. This is the only means by which they would ever be able to accomplish what they did. Just think of it, eleven men went out and preached the message of Jesus, and from that small beginning, roughly 30% of the world now claims Jesus as Savior. If the Lord hadn't been with them during all of the struggles, hardship, and persecutions they faced they would never have made it. But, the risen Lord was with them every step of the way.
Just as the Lord kept His promise to the disciples, Jesus will be with us as well. He will never leave us or forsake us in our attempts to serve Him and in the hard times we face just trying to live our lives, He will always be there.
I know that without Jesus helping me, I'd never have been able to be a witness in the world. Since the time I was young, I've always had a lot of anxiety when it comes to speaking to people for the first time. It takes a lot of work for me to engage socially. Yet, as a young man I felt called to be in Christian ministry. In order to do this, I'd have to talk to people and share the faith.
At one church I went to, they did a lot of door to door witnessing. So, I started working in this ministry. At first, I didn't think that I could do it, but as I began to talk to people, the peace of Christ came over me, and I didn't have any problem speaking to people in this context.
The same held true in the context of speaking at the nursing home and the chapel services at the local Christian School. I know that Jesus was with me, and I felt His presence enabling me to do the task.
In college, I really had to rely on the Lord to help me to be a witness for Him. Without thinking that it would happen, I was thrust into my own little apologetics ministry. I went to a Christian college that somewhere along the line forgot what that meant. I'd have debates with the chaplain often. He didn't believe any of the orthodox doctrines of the faith. Not one to talk much in class, I didn't have any trouble speaking about the Bible and doctrines of the Lord with this chaplain or students. I knew Jesus was with me.
If you will step out in faith to fulfill the Great Commission, I know that you too will be keenly aware of the presence and power of Jesus in you life. He will give you the strength to do what He has asked you to do.
I believe that Jesus' words about always being with us are true in the struggles of everyday life. Jesus said that each day had enough trouble of its own to deal with without worrying about what the next day would bring.
I don't know how people make it in life without the presence of Jesus. I know that I wouldn't have made it this far without Him and His help in the really hard times.
I've faced probably four or five real hard times in my life when I didn't know if I could keep going.
Growing up and having a lot of heartache with church and school, along with a lot of sickness was hard. But, Jesus being with me saw me through.
Losing Toby just about killed me. He was the one Jesus sent to help me. After Toby left, I felt like I was back to square one. But, Jesus being with me saw me through.
When Mom had a massive stroke and Dad and I took care of her those five years before she passed away, I wouldn't have made it without the rock of the presence of Jesus in my soul never allowing me to get too far down.
Four months after Mom died, my Dad had a stroke at the veterinarian's office while he was there to pick up his Akita. He died two weeks later.
I'm still struggling, but I know Jesus is with me not only because His Word says it, I know it because when I pray and meditate I can feel His presence in my soul.
Every one who is alive has faced hard times when they didn't know if they could keep going. Let me assure you, Jesus is with you. He cares. He loves you. He understands and is working all things out for the ultimate good. Trust Him, and pray of His will.
Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us. I know this is true. Let us be faithful to Him in all that we do for His honor and glory.
If your reading this and you've never asked Jesus into you life to be your Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so today. Pray to receive Christ. Repent of your sin, and accept Jesus' Lordship. He will hear you when you call on His name. Amen.
Haggai 2:4
Hebrews 13:5
In last week's message, we looked at the last words Jesus spoke to the eleven disciples before He finished His earthly ministry and ascended to the right hand of the Father. The main part of Jesus' last words were His Great Commission commanding the disciples, and all believers, to make disciples, baptize new converts and teach them to obey Jesus' commandments. We also examined just a few of the ways we as 21st century believers can carry out the Great Commission.
One part of Jesus' final words that we didn't get a chance to look at in depth was His statement that , " surely I am with you always to the very end of the age." To me, this is a profound and comforting statement.
In its most immediate context, Jesus is letting His disciples know that as they attempted to carry out the Great Commission, He would be with them helping them to accomplish the great task before them. This is the only means by which they would ever be able to accomplish what they did. Just think of it, eleven men went out and preached the message of Jesus, and from that small beginning, roughly 30% of the world now claims Jesus as Savior. If the Lord hadn't been with them during all of the struggles, hardship, and persecutions they faced they would never have made it. But, the risen Lord was with them every step of the way.
Just as the Lord kept His promise to the disciples, Jesus will be with us as well. He will never leave us or forsake us in our attempts to serve Him and in the hard times we face just trying to live our lives, He will always be there.
I know that without Jesus helping me, I'd never have been able to be a witness in the world. Since the time I was young, I've always had a lot of anxiety when it comes to speaking to people for the first time. It takes a lot of work for me to engage socially. Yet, as a young man I felt called to be in Christian ministry. In order to do this, I'd have to talk to people and share the faith.
At one church I went to, they did a lot of door to door witnessing. So, I started working in this ministry. At first, I didn't think that I could do it, but as I began to talk to people, the peace of Christ came over me, and I didn't have any problem speaking to people in this context.
The same held true in the context of speaking at the nursing home and the chapel services at the local Christian School. I know that Jesus was with me, and I felt His presence enabling me to do the task.
In college, I really had to rely on the Lord to help me to be a witness for Him. Without thinking that it would happen, I was thrust into my own little apologetics ministry. I went to a Christian college that somewhere along the line forgot what that meant. I'd have debates with the chaplain often. He didn't believe any of the orthodox doctrines of the faith. Not one to talk much in class, I didn't have any trouble speaking about the Bible and doctrines of the Lord with this chaplain or students. I knew Jesus was with me.
If you will step out in faith to fulfill the Great Commission, I know that you too will be keenly aware of the presence and power of Jesus in you life. He will give you the strength to do what He has asked you to do.
I believe that Jesus' words about always being with us are true in the struggles of everyday life. Jesus said that each day had enough trouble of its own to deal with without worrying about what the next day would bring.
I don't know how people make it in life without the presence of Jesus. I know that I wouldn't have made it this far without Him and His help in the really hard times.
I've faced probably four or five real hard times in my life when I didn't know if I could keep going.
Growing up and having a lot of heartache with church and school, along with a lot of sickness was hard. But, Jesus being with me saw me through.
Losing Toby just about killed me. He was the one Jesus sent to help me. After Toby left, I felt like I was back to square one. But, Jesus being with me saw me through.
When Mom had a massive stroke and Dad and I took care of her those five years before she passed away, I wouldn't have made it without the rock of the presence of Jesus in my soul never allowing me to get too far down.
Four months after Mom died, my Dad had a stroke at the veterinarian's office while he was there to pick up his Akita. He died two weeks later.
I'm still struggling, but I know Jesus is with me not only because His Word says it, I know it because when I pray and meditate I can feel His presence in my soul.
Every one who is alive has faced hard times when they didn't know if they could keep going. Let me assure you, Jesus is with you. He cares. He loves you. He understands and is working all things out for the ultimate good. Trust Him, and pray of His will.
Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us. I know this is true. Let us be faithful to Him in all that we do for His honor and glory.
If your reading this and you've never asked Jesus into you life to be your Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so today. Pray to receive Christ. Repent of your sin, and accept Jesus' Lordship. He will hear you when you call on His name. Amen.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
World Series
The World Series starts tonight. I'm really looking forward to it, and hoping for a St. Louis victory. I have good memories of going to the baseball games with my Dad. One of the doctors my Mom worked for had season tickets, but he didn't go to very many games. When he didn't go, he gave the tickets to my Mom. We sat right behind home plate. The Royals of today are nothing like the teams when I was a boy. It's hard to believe that the Royals beat the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series. It seems like a lifetime ago.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Ecclesiastes
I just finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes in my daily readings. I find this a very depressing book. However, there is a lot of truth in it. I think that the writer's basic point is that a life lived without God at the center of it is ultimately meaningless since only those things done with eternity in view have any lasting consequence. Jesus talked about this when He said not to lay up treasure on earth. Instead, we are to lay up treasure in heaven.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Weekend Sermon--Final Words On Earth
Matthew 28:16-20
After Jesus rose from the dead, He made several post resurrection appearances. The Bible says that Jesus remained on earth for a period of forty days after His resurrection.
Finally, it was time for Jesus to depart from this earth. However, Jesus still had some last words of instruction He wished to impart to His eleven remaining disciples. We find these words in our reading from Matthew's gospel.
As Jesus instructed, the eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee to wait for the appearance of the risen Christ. The first thing they did when Jesus appeared to them was they worshipped Him. These eleven men recognized that Jesus was God and man. They gave Jesus the honor and praise due unto Him for who He was and for what He had done.
What strikes me in this narrative is that some still doubted. They still weren't in full belief that Jesus was really alive. Even thought the risen Lord had appeared to them on numerous occasions, they still had questions lingering in the back of their minds.
It may seem odd, but this gives me encouragement. Sometimes when I see the hurt and the sorrow in the world it makes me wonder about God. I still believe, but sometimes I have questions. Knowing that at least a few of the disciples doubted even with Jesus standing right in front of them makes me feel that my faith isn't as weak as I sometimes think it is.
Even though some of the eleven doubted, they kept on going. All eleven of these men were in the upper room when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. All eleven stood together and proclaimed the message of Jesus that day. All eleven, except for John, gave their lives for the sake of the gospel. They struggled through their doubt to find belief. That's what all of us must work to do in an age filled with many things which may cause us to doubt.
It was now time for Jesus' final words of instruction. He said, "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." This is known as the Great Commission.
Some theologians believe that this commandment of Jesus was only given to the eleven disciples who originally heard it, and those of us living today are not under its obligation. I believe that nothing could be farther from the truth. I believe that all Christians have the obligation to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let's look at what this commission tells us to do. Jesus tells us to make disciples, baptize, and teach. The commission contains three parts.
First of all, we are to go and make disciples. We are supposed to share the gospel. What is the gospel? The gospel simply put is that Jesus died for our sins, He is risen, and by placing our faith in His finished work on the cross we can be justified before God and born again.
Every Christian should be involved in spreading the gospel. There are many ways this may be carried out.
An important way that shouldn't be discounted is through giving. Giving to world missions and the mission of the church allows the gospel to be preached across the world in places many of us will never have the opportunity to go to.
I don't think we should leave it there, however. We should personally share our faith with others. If your like me, your circle of contacts contains many people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Many of these may be family members and close friends. These individuals are our mission field.
When a conversation about religion starts, we can use this opportunity to relate in a casual way what Jesus has done for us and the way a relationship with Him has transformed our lives.
Some may wish to become involved in evangelistic ministry. This may include doing door to door witnessing, or passing out tracts.
One important thing to keep in mind is that when you share your faith, don't be obnoxious. Don't come across with a superior attitude.
Another very important way to be a witness for the gospel is by the way we live. The Bible says that we should live in such a way that people will see our good works and glorify the Father in Heaven.
What you do very often speaks louder than what you say. As believers, when we live a Christ like life, those around us will want to know the difference a relationship with Jesus can make in their life.
The second part of the Great Commission involves baptism. Baptism is the first step of obedience in the Christian life following conversion. It is an outward sign of an inward work. Baptism is our public identification with Christ signifying our death to sin and the beginning of our new life in Christ.
The third component of the Great Commission is the one that is unfortunately often neglected. The new convert needs to be taught those things Jesus wants them to do and what not to do in life. They need to be taught the Bible and what the true doctrines and beliefs of the church are.
Sadly, there is a lot of Biblical and theological illiteracy in the church. This is a direct result of church leaders not teaching the people. Nothing saddens me more than seeing people who have been in church for years who have very little knowledge of what is in the Bible. They don't know what they believe, or why they believe it.
Jesus ended His last words by telling His disciples that He would always be with them. Instead of going into how meaningful I find this statement now, I'd like to talk about this later. Amen
Lord, thank you for the good words you gave us. Help each of us to spread the message of your love to the best of our ability. Amen
After Jesus rose from the dead, He made several post resurrection appearances. The Bible says that Jesus remained on earth for a period of forty days after His resurrection.
Finally, it was time for Jesus to depart from this earth. However, Jesus still had some last words of instruction He wished to impart to His eleven remaining disciples. We find these words in our reading from Matthew's gospel.
As Jesus instructed, the eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee to wait for the appearance of the risen Christ. The first thing they did when Jesus appeared to them was they worshipped Him. These eleven men recognized that Jesus was God and man. They gave Jesus the honor and praise due unto Him for who He was and for what He had done.
What strikes me in this narrative is that some still doubted. They still weren't in full belief that Jesus was really alive. Even thought the risen Lord had appeared to them on numerous occasions, they still had questions lingering in the back of their minds.
It may seem odd, but this gives me encouragement. Sometimes when I see the hurt and the sorrow in the world it makes me wonder about God. I still believe, but sometimes I have questions. Knowing that at least a few of the disciples doubted even with Jesus standing right in front of them makes me feel that my faith isn't as weak as I sometimes think it is.
Even though some of the eleven doubted, they kept on going. All eleven of these men were in the upper room when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. All eleven stood together and proclaimed the message of Jesus that day. All eleven, except for John, gave their lives for the sake of the gospel. They struggled through their doubt to find belief. That's what all of us must work to do in an age filled with many things which may cause us to doubt.
It was now time for Jesus' final words of instruction. He said, "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." This is known as the Great Commission.
Some theologians believe that this commandment of Jesus was only given to the eleven disciples who originally heard it, and those of us living today are not under its obligation. I believe that nothing could be farther from the truth. I believe that all Christians have the obligation to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let's look at what this commission tells us to do. Jesus tells us to make disciples, baptize, and teach. The commission contains three parts.
First of all, we are to go and make disciples. We are supposed to share the gospel. What is the gospel? The gospel simply put is that Jesus died for our sins, He is risen, and by placing our faith in His finished work on the cross we can be justified before God and born again.
Every Christian should be involved in spreading the gospel. There are many ways this may be carried out.
An important way that shouldn't be discounted is through giving. Giving to world missions and the mission of the church allows the gospel to be preached across the world in places many of us will never have the opportunity to go to.
I don't think we should leave it there, however. We should personally share our faith with others. If your like me, your circle of contacts contains many people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Many of these may be family members and close friends. These individuals are our mission field.
When a conversation about religion starts, we can use this opportunity to relate in a casual way what Jesus has done for us and the way a relationship with Him has transformed our lives.
Some may wish to become involved in evangelistic ministry. This may include doing door to door witnessing, or passing out tracts.
One important thing to keep in mind is that when you share your faith, don't be obnoxious. Don't come across with a superior attitude.
Another very important way to be a witness for the gospel is by the way we live. The Bible says that we should live in such a way that people will see our good works and glorify the Father in Heaven.
What you do very often speaks louder than what you say. As believers, when we live a Christ like life, those around us will want to know the difference a relationship with Jesus can make in their life.
The second part of the Great Commission involves baptism. Baptism is the first step of obedience in the Christian life following conversion. It is an outward sign of an inward work. Baptism is our public identification with Christ signifying our death to sin and the beginning of our new life in Christ.
The third component of the Great Commission is the one that is unfortunately often neglected. The new convert needs to be taught those things Jesus wants them to do and what not to do in life. They need to be taught the Bible and what the true doctrines and beliefs of the church are.
Sadly, there is a lot of Biblical and theological illiteracy in the church. This is a direct result of church leaders not teaching the people. Nothing saddens me more than seeing people who have been in church for years who have very little knowledge of what is in the Bible. They don't know what they believe, or why they believe it.
Jesus ended His last words by telling His disciples that He would always be with them. Instead of going into how meaningful I find this statement now, I'd like to talk about this later. Amen
Lord, thank you for the good words you gave us. Help each of us to spread the message of your love to the best of our ability. Amen
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Fall Color
I've been very surprised at the nice Fall color in my area. We had a very hot and dry Summer and Fall, so I wasn't expecting much, but the maples have been beautiful. The biggest surprise was my walnut tree. The leaves have turned a spectacular shade of yellow. It's the best I've seen in 20 years.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Weekend Sermon--The Sign of Jonah--Luke 11:29-32
In this section of Scripture, Jesus is speaking to a large crowd of people. I'm sure they didn't expect Jesus to begin His message to them the way He did. Jesus said that they were a wicked generation because they asked Him to perform a miraculous sign. In other words, they wanted Jesus to perform some kind of miracle that would prove to them that He was the Messiah.
Jesus said that He wasn't going to give them a sign except for the sign of Jonah the prophet. What I don't get is how these people following Jesus could still be seeking a sign from Jesus to prove Himself. At this point in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has already performed many powerful miracles witnessed by the crowds.
In chapter 4, Jesus drove out an evil spirit in the synagogue, healed Peter's mother-in-law, and healed many people with a variety of problems. In chapter 5, Jesus healed a man with leprosy and a paralyzed man. Chapter 7 finds Jesus in the town of Nain raising a widow's son from the dead. Jesus calms a storm, heals a demoniac, heals a woman with an issue of blood and raises Jairus' daughter. Five thousand were miraculously fed in chapter 9. What more in the way of signs did the people expect? No wonder Jesus reacted the way He did.
Jesus said that the same way in which Jonah was a sign to Nineveh, Jesus would be a sign to His generation. At this point we need to ask, what is this sign of Jonah that Jesus is speaking about?
If you recall, Jonah was a prophet from Israel. An Old Testament book of the Bible is named for him. God called the prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh, the capitol of the Assyrian Empire.
Jonah had no intention of going anywhere near Nineveh. The Assyrians were the arch enemies of Israel, and as far as Jonah was concerned, God could just go ahead and destroy Nineveh and be done with the matter.
Jonah got on a boat and sailed in the opposite direction. God wasn't going to let Jonah get off the hook that easily. A great storm arose, and Jonah, knowing he was the cause, had the sailors cast him into the sea. As soon as Jonah hit the waves, the storm calmed and a great fish swallowed him.
Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish. He then repented and was vomited out onto dry land. He rushed to Nineveh and delivered a message of repentance as originally instructed by God. All of Nineveh turned to the Lord. Jonah, being the kind of man that he was, was angry with God for having mercy on the city.
The sign of Jonah Jesus was speaking about was the fact that when Jonah was in the belly of the fish it was as if he were dead then came back to the land of the living.
Jesus said that just as Jonah was three days and nights in the fish, He would be three days and nights in the grave. Then Jesus would rise from the dead victorious over death, hell and the grave.
The sign to Jesus' generation that proved His message was the fact that although crucified and put to death, He rose again conquering sin and its consequences forever. Truly, as Jesus said, He is the resurrection and the life, therefore whoever believes in Him will never die.
The resurrection of Jesus is our sign of who Jesus is and that His message is true. The resurrection of Jesus validates everything He said about Himself and the work of redemption accomplished at Calvary.
In spite of this sign, the vast majority of people in Jesus' day right up to the present day don't believe in Jesus' message of love and redemption.
Jesus told those listening to Him that the Queen of the South would stand up and judge them because she came from the ends of the earth to see Solomon, yet one greater than Solomon was among them.
This reminds me of many people today. They will follow innumerable spiritual paths, but they will not follow Jesus. Just look at the world we live in. Only one-third of the world's population holds to the Christian religion in any form. Two-thirds of this world is going in a different direction.
Here in my country, the United States, many different religious teachers preach a message contrary to Jesus and they have best selling books and are featured on programs of national prominence. All the while, the number of people who believe in the divinity of Jesus and in His resurrection grows smaller.
This makes me sad because I know in my life that my relationship with the Jesus of the Bible has made all of the difference. I hope that others will come to know the Savior I try to serve.
Jesus went on to say that the people of Nineveh would rise up in judgment because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and those listening to Jesus rejected God come in human flesh.
Jesus told the people then, and He tells us today to repent and believe in Him. Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves who He is.
There is no other historical religious figure who has died and risen from the dead. The empty grave is proof of the resurrection. The Bible says that over 500 people saw the risen Christ. And, why would all of the Apostles except one be willing to suffer a martyr's death if they hadn't seen the risen Jesus?
Jesus is the way. Only He can provide the answers for life and hope for the life to come. I urge you to believe in Him and follow Him today. Amen.
Jesus said that He wasn't going to give them a sign except for the sign of Jonah the prophet. What I don't get is how these people following Jesus could still be seeking a sign from Jesus to prove Himself. At this point in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has already performed many powerful miracles witnessed by the crowds.
In chapter 4, Jesus drove out an evil spirit in the synagogue, healed Peter's mother-in-law, and healed many people with a variety of problems. In chapter 5, Jesus healed a man with leprosy and a paralyzed man. Chapter 7 finds Jesus in the town of Nain raising a widow's son from the dead. Jesus calms a storm, heals a demoniac, heals a woman with an issue of blood and raises Jairus' daughter. Five thousand were miraculously fed in chapter 9. What more in the way of signs did the people expect? No wonder Jesus reacted the way He did.
Jesus said that the same way in which Jonah was a sign to Nineveh, Jesus would be a sign to His generation. At this point we need to ask, what is this sign of Jonah that Jesus is speaking about?
If you recall, Jonah was a prophet from Israel. An Old Testament book of the Bible is named for him. God called the prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh, the capitol of the Assyrian Empire.
Jonah had no intention of going anywhere near Nineveh. The Assyrians were the arch enemies of Israel, and as far as Jonah was concerned, God could just go ahead and destroy Nineveh and be done with the matter.
Jonah got on a boat and sailed in the opposite direction. God wasn't going to let Jonah get off the hook that easily. A great storm arose, and Jonah, knowing he was the cause, had the sailors cast him into the sea. As soon as Jonah hit the waves, the storm calmed and a great fish swallowed him.
Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish. He then repented and was vomited out onto dry land. He rushed to Nineveh and delivered a message of repentance as originally instructed by God. All of Nineveh turned to the Lord. Jonah, being the kind of man that he was, was angry with God for having mercy on the city.
The sign of Jonah Jesus was speaking about was the fact that when Jonah was in the belly of the fish it was as if he were dead then came back to the land of the living.
Jesus said that just as Jonah was three days and nights in the fish, He would be three days and nights in the grave. Then Jesus would rise from the dead victorious over death, hell and the grave.
The sign to Jesus' generation that proved His message was the fact that although crucified and put to death, He rose again conquering sin and its consequences forever. Truly, as Jesus said, He is the resurrection and the life, therefore whoever believes in Him will never die.
The resurrection of Jesus is our sign of who Jesus is and that His message is true. The resurrection of Jesus validates everything He said about Himself and the work of redemption accomplished at Calvary.
In spite of this sign, the vast majority of people in Jesus' day right up to the present day don't believe in Jesus' message of love and redemption.
Jesus told those listening to Him that the Queen of the South would stand up and judge them because she came from the ends of the earth to see Solomon, yet one greater than Solomon was among them.
This reminds me of many people today. They will follow innumerable spiritual paths, but they will not follow Jesus. Just look at the world we live in. Only one-third of the world's population holds to the Christian religion in any form. Two-thirds of this world is going in a different direction.
Here in my country, the United States, many different religious teachers preach a message contrary to Jesus and they have best selling books and are featured on programs of national prominence. All the while, the number of people who believe in the divinity of Jesus and in His resurrection grows smaller.
This makes me sad because I know in my life that my relationship with the Jesus of the Bible has made all of the difference. I hope that others will come to know the Savior I try to serve.
Jesus went on to say that the people of Nineveh would rise up in judgment because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and those listening to Jesus rejected God come in human flesh.
Jesus told the people then, and He tells us today to repent and believe in Him. Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves who He is.
There is no other historical religious figure who has died and risen from the dead. The empty grave is proof of the resurrection. The Bible says that over 500 people saw the risen Christ. And, why would all of the Apostles except one be willing to suffer a martyr's death if they hadn't seen the risen Jesus?
Jesus is the way. Only He can provide the answers for life and hope for the life to come. I urge you to believe in Him and follow Him today. Amen.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Good Dog Program
There was a good dog program on "Nature" on PBS last night. I think that the name of it was "Dogs That Changed the World." Last night was just part one. Next week is part two. If you like shows about dogs, you might want to check it out.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Verses For the Day
John 14:15-17--"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
Monday, October 3, 2011
A Golf Surprise
I am a big fan of golf. I can't play much because after about 4 holes my shoulder goes out. But, I love to watch golf. I was very surprised to read this morning that for the first time in his career, Tiger Woods is out of the top 50 golf rankings. I would never have believed it. Maybe he will make a come back yet. The way things look right now, Jack Nicklaus' major's record is safe.
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