Jesus Christ commanded us to preach the good news to the ends of the earth; to spread His message of salvation and hope to the lost and the broken. When we are at church, or hanging out with our Christian friends it seems so natural, so easy to preach the gospel. However, what happens to the sharing of our beloved gospel outside of our Christian bubble? What happens when God calls us to step out of our comfort zone and present the gospel to a complete stranger?
"The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai. Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord" Jonah 1:1-3
In this well known biblical event, we see that Jonah does not want to preach in a strange city. He does not want to step out of his comfort zone. Nineveh was nearly 500 miles from Jonah's hometown and was a place of great sin. Instead, he literally flees in the opposite direction and completely disobeys Gods command to him.
This story really speaks to the modern day Christian. What is our Nineveh? What are we afraid of? Have we become so comfortable in God's grace that we are too reluctant to step out of our comfort zones?
There is a big difference between "rejoicing" in our salvation and "resting" in our salvation. Personally, I am so very grateful for my salvation but shouldn't that be all the more reason to step over that line and truly present Jesus to a complete stranger. I feel selfish knowing that maybe I'm just "resting" in Gods grace and enjoying the fruits of His sacrifice while there are lost souls who need to hear the gospel. There have been times when a moment arises when I've heard Gods voice telling me to speak up, but yet I have remained silent. What is my Nineveh?
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." Romans 1:16
Paul states that he is not ashamed of the gospel and I believe that the vast majority of Christians aren't ashamed of the gospel either, but each one of us has a "Nineveh" in our hearts. There may be many different reasons why one can't seem to break through and truly start preaching to those broken souls.
"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God" 2Timothy 1-8
Paul wrote 2Timothy while he was chained up in a dudgeon. He likely knew that his life was coming to an end soon, but yet he still was exhorting his brethren to preach the gospel. He calls upon them to join in "suffering" for God.
So, the next time we are faced with our personal "Ninevehs", lets consider the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and all those early followers. Let us be inspired to share what was freely given to us. And let us realize that our fears of rejection or suffering can hardly be mentioned in the same breath in comparison to the suffering of those who came before us.
My prayer is that the Holy Spirit of God would minster to our hearts and ignite a flame of passion for our beloved gospel; that we would boldly preach the word of God to those in need; that we would be able to overcome our own personal "Ninevehs" and become true soldiers for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A Little Girl's Gratitude
Several weeks ago I was teaching the children in the youth ministry and I asked them to tell me if they had ever prayed to God to help them with something. Some of the children nervously shuffled there feet or twiddled there thumbs and looked about anxiously as they waited for the awkward moment when I would be calling on them. Before I called on any of them, one of the nine year old girls raised her hand. Her big brown eyes were so beautiful. She had this innocent look of a young girl with so much hope. She hadn't been contaminated by the world. Her pure heart was akin to the pure agape love that we all have received in grace from God. Then, in a seemingly angelic voice, she said, "I asked God to help me be successful on my school test, and I did really good on that test, and I thanked God because God is good".
"O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good: for his mercy endureth forever" Psalm 107:1 (KJV)
I was overwhelmed, not only by her faith and gratitude, but also by her uncanny recognition that God is our provision. When we had finished our lesson plan, I asked the children if they were excited about school being out and if they were ready to have some fun!! Surprisingly, the little girl looked directly into my eyes and said, "I don't want to have fun, I want to help my parents at the restaurant. They work so hard for me and I want to help them". Her parents work long hours at their restaurant and rarely make it to church.
"But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant......." Philippians 2:7 (KJV)
I could feel the tears welling up. I was struggling to keep my emotions in check. I couldn't believe that a nine year old could possibly have the heart of a grateful servant. I contemplated how a child could be so obedient to God's Word. I thought about all of the "comfortable" Christians I know. I thought about how much more I could be doing for the kingdom of God. I wondered, is our gratitude genuine, or is it just lip service. Are we really serving Jesus or are we really just serving our own egos. This precious child was the reason I had to look in the mirror when I got home. And when I looked, I wondered if I was seeing the face of a self-righteous sinner or that of a grateful little girl.
Children of God.......I ask you........what do you see?
"O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good: for his mercy endureth forever" Psalm 107:1 (KJV)
I was overwhelmed, not only by her faith and gratitude, but also by her uncanny recognition that God is our provision. When we had finished our lesson plan, I asked the children if they were excited about school being out and if they were ready to have some fun!! Surprisingly, the little girl looked directly into my eyes and said, "I don't want to have fun, I want to help my parents at the restaurant. They work so hard for me and I want to help them". Her parents work long hours at their restaurant and rarely make it to church.
"But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant......." Philippians 2:7 (KJV)
I could feel the tears welling up. I was struggling to keep my emotions in check. I couldn't believe that a nine year old could possibly have the heart of a grateful servant. I contemplated how a child could be so obedient to God's Word. I thought about all of the "comfortable" Christians I know. I thought about how much more I could be doing for the kingdom of God. I wondered, is our gratitude genuine, or is it just lip service. Are we really serving Jesus or are we really just serving our own egos. This precious child was the reason I had to look in the mirror when I got home. And when I looked, I wondered if I was seeing the face of a self-righteous sinner or that of a grateful little girl.
Children of God.......I ask you........what do you see?
Friday, July 10, 2009
The Soothing Voice of Encouragement
As Christians we are called to build one another up in faith, to consider others as better than ourselves, to love one another as Christ loved us.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
How many times do you see in the secular world, people tearing each other down, hurling insults at one another, criticizing each other, or taking delight in seeing someone else fail. Sadly, many times, we are also witness to this same type of behavior within the church.
Don't you think the revival of the church and the Christian community at large starts in the hearts of men and women? Don't we suffer through enough strife in the secular world already? Isn't the example of God's grace and mercy in our own personal lives good enough? As followers of Christ, shouldn't we be the voice of encouragement?
In one form or another, the word "encourage" appears in the bible roughly 70 times. It goes against everything we stood for when we lived in darkness, but God has shone His graceful light upon us and now we have been called to shine that light upon others. We, as the body of Christ, must encourage one another in love. We must be the selfless givers of encouragement to those who have stumbled, to those who are in need, to those who just need to hear the caressing voice of someone who loves them.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" Eph. 4:29(NIV)
The body of Christ has many different parts and when one of those parts breaks down, who among us will come to help put that part back together. After all, aren't we all part of the same body?
"There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all" Eph. 4:4-6 (NIV)
There are times when many of us are weakened in our faith; when we feel somewhat separated from God; when we can't seem to feel His presence, or hear His voice. It is in those times that the oneness of love that we all share in Christ Jesus, must be given graciously to the brethren in need.
My hope and prayer is that we, as the body of Christ, would build one another up; would sacrifice our own needs for the needs of others; would be the soothing voice of encouragement to those who have stumbled. Father give us the heart of a humble servant. Help us to be more compassionate; to be the soldiers that stand as an example of the new revival within the church. May God strengthen us in our commitment to the well being of His body so that we can boldly bring His message of Truth to the world. Amen.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
How many times do you see in the secular world, people tearing each other down, hurling insults at one another, criticizing each other, or taking delight in seeing someone else fail. Sadly, many times, we are also witness to this same type of behavior within the church.
Don't you think the revival of the church and the Christian community at large starts in the hearts of men and women? Don't we suffer through enough strife in the secular world already? Isn't the example of God's grace and mercy in our own personal lives good enough? As followers of Christ, shouldn't we be the voice of encouragement?
In one form or another, the word "encourage" appears in the bible roughly 70 times. It goes against everything we stood for when we lived in darkness, but God has shone His graceful light upon us and now we have been called to shine that light upon others. We, as the body of Christ, must encourage one another in love. We must be the selfless givers of encouragement to those who have stumbled, to those who are in need, to those who just need to hear the caressing voice of someone who loves them.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" Eph. 4:29(NIV)
The body of Christ has many different parts and when one of those parts breaks down, who among us will come to help put that part back together. After all, aren't we all part of the same body?
"There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all" Eph. 4:4-6 (NIV)
There are times when many of us are weakened in our faith; when we feel somewhat separated from God; when we can't seem to feel His presence, or hear His voice. It is in those times that the oneness of love that we all share in Christ Jesus, must be given graciously to the brethren in need.
My hope and prayer is that we, as the body of Christ, would build one another up; would sacrifice our own needs for the needs of others; would be the soothing voice of encouragement to those who have stumbled. Father give us the heart of a humble servant. Help us to be more compassionate; to be the soldiers that stand as an example of the new revival within the church. May God strengthen us in our commitment to the well being of His body so that we can boldly bring His message of Truth to the world. Amen.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Paul: Humble Servant or Superman
I can't help but think about the complete metamorphosis that the apostle Paul underwent. He went from persecuting Christians to the fullest, to becoming one of the most well known martyrs of all time. This was a man who truly rejoiced in his sufferings.
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them". Acts 16:25 (NIV)
However, it is not Paul's martyrdom that intrigues me. It is his utter disregard for his own personal safety. It is his faith. It is his four missionary trips. It is his concern and love for all of the churches. But above all else, it is his humility that not only intrigues me, but also convicts and inspires me.
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God". 1Corinthians 15:9 (NIV)
Wow!! Did he actually say that? (of course he did its the word of God) Are you kidding me? Doesn't deserve to be called an apostle? Ok....to start the early churches, this man went on four missionary trips, travelled literally thousands of miles over the course of years, risking his life, going through hostile nations, and suffered in prisons. By today's standards (especially in the West), we would be calling him Superman. But, by Paul's own standard, he wasn't worthy enough to be called an apostle. If I could only be so humble.
Just in case you have never seen a map of Paul's missionary journeys, just click on the following link. I find it quite impressive to say the least. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/biblemaps/13
My hope is that we who call ourselves Christians would consider Paul's humility; that as we serve in our own churches, that we would do so with a humble heart. I hope that we would consider our service to God a privilege and an honor instead of an obligation or an inconvenience.
Personally, I spent most of my life as an enemy of God. Now, it is my privilege to be nothing so that He can be everything. Thank you Jesus for showing us what it is to be a humble servant.
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them". Acts 16:25 (NIV)
However, it is not Paul's martyrdom that intrigues me. It is his utter disregard for his own personal safety. It is his faith. It is his four missionary trips. It is his concern and love for all of the churches. But above all else, it is his humility that not only intrigues me, but also convicts and inspires me.
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God". 1Corinthians 15:9 (NIV)
Wow!! Did he actually say that? (of course he did its the word of God) Are you kidding me? Doesn't deserve to be called an apostle? Ok....to start the early churches, this man went on four missionary trips, travelled literally thousands of miles over the course of years, risking his life, going through hostile nations, and suffered in prisons. By today's standards (especially in the West), we would be calling him Superman. But, by Paul's own standard, he wasn't worthy enough to be called an apostle. If I could only be so humble.
Just in case you have never seen a map of Paul's missionary journeys, just click on the following link. I find it quite impressive to say the least. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/biblemaps/13
My hope is that we who call ourselves Christians would consider Paul's humility; that as we serve in our own churches, that we would do so with a humble heart. I hope that we would consider our service to God a privilege and an honor instead of an obligation or an inconvenience.
Personally, I spent most of my life as an enemy of God. Now, it is my privilege to be nothing so that He can be everything. Thank you Jesus for showing us what it is to be a humble servant.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Taming the Tongue
Everywhere I go, I can't escape the vile garbage that people are spewing out of their mouths. I am not casting judgment upon them. I am just extremely concerned about the complete acceptance of this type of language in our society and the effect it will have on the generations to come. I have even been told within certain church communities that I am too legalistic; that cursing or swearing really only counts if your using God's name. I couldn't disagree more!!
"All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of poison". James 3:7-8(NIV)
James paints a vivid picture for us and I couldn't agree more. After all, how can you disagree with God's word if you call yourself a genuine Christian. The so-called "lesser" swear words that many consider harmless are just the seeds of something more poisonous.
I exhort all who read this post to really consider what it means to be Christian. If we truly want to be like Christ, and to shine His light upon the rest of the world, then we better consider Him before we open our mouths. One seemingly harmless swear word is like a tiny germ that eventually becomes a festering infection.
My prayer is that we as Christians would lead the way in changing what language is deemed as acceptable in our society by truly being a reflection of Jesus for all the world to see. May God cleanse our mouths with His soap so that our children won't be infected by our poisonous tongues. Let us stand firm in the midst of a contaminated world. Amen.
"All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of poison". James 3:7-8(NIV)
James paints a vivid picture for us and I couldn't agree more. After all, how can you disagree with God's word if you call yourself a genuine Christian. The so-called "lesser" swear words that many consider harmless are just the seeds of something more poisonous.
I exhort all who read this post to really consider what it means to be Christian. If we truly want to be like Christ, and to shine His light upon the rest of the world, then we better consider Him before we open our mouths. One seemingly harmless swear word is like a tiny germ that eventually becomes a festering infection.
My prayer is that we as Christians would lead the way in changing what language is deemed as acceptable in our society by truly being a reflection of Jesus for all the world to see. May God cleanse our mouths with His soap so that our children won't be infected by our poisonous tongues. Let us stand firm in the midst of a contaminated world. Amen.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
A Simple Prayer of Thankgiving
As we wind down a weekend of celebration here in the United States, I would like to share a prayer with all of you. How blessed we are to live in freedom; to be able to worship Jesus without any restrictions or fear of persecution. God has certainly spoiled us in this part of the world.
Father in heaven, we come to you in the name of Jesus. Father, we give you thanks for the freedom that you have given us; for the gift of your son Jesus Christ. We ask that you forgive us for our disobedience; that you would cleanse us with the blood of the Lamb. We call upon your Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily walk with Jesus; to show us your will and to help us be obedient to your Word. Show us how to love our enemies as you loved us, and help us be more like Jesus. Lord, it is our humble privilege to fall down before you and to serve you for all the days of our lives. We are not worthy, but we are so very thankful that you called us and delivered us from our own wretchedness. With tears in our eyes, we declare that you are worthy of our praise; that your name is above all. We pray in one accord, in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Father in heaven, we come to you in the name of Jesus. Father, we give you thanks for the freedom that you have given us; for the gift of your son Jesus Christ. We ask that you forgive us for our disobedience; that you would cleanse us with the blood of the Lamb. We call upon your Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily walk with Jesus; to show us your will and to help us be obedient to your Word. Show us how to love our enemies as you loved us, and help us be more like Jesus. Lord, it is our humble privilege to fall down before you and to serve you for all the days of our lives. We are not worthy, but we are so very thankful that you called us and delivered us from our own wretchedness. With tears in our eyes, we declare that you are worthy of our praise; that your name is above all. We pray in one accord, in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Effect of Obedience
In the book of Daniel, we see a compelling story of three faithful Jews. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had an image of gold built and expected all people of all languages to fall down and worship this image when they heard the sound of all the musical instruments playing. He declared that all who did not obey this command would be thrown into a blazing furnace. Upon hearing that there were three Jews (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) who refused to obey this command, he became furious and sent for them.
When the three faithful Jews arrived, the King demanded that they fall down at the onset of the music and worship the image. This was their response. "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up". Daniel 3:17,18 (NIV)
The King was outraged and had the furnace heated up to seven times hotter than normal and had the three men thrown into the furnace. The King looked into the furnace and saw that an angel of the Lord had rescued the three Jews. They were completely unharmed by the blazing fire. King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed that he verbally praised God, he decreed that anyone who spoke evil of God would be killed, and promoted the three Jews within the province of Babylon.
Point #1: FAITH The three Jewish men state that God is "able to save" us. They confess and believe that God can save them.
Point #2: RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE OF GOD'S WILL They say "but even if he does not save us, we will not serve your gods". They recognize that it may not be God's will to rescue you them from the fire, but they clearly state that they are willing to accept the consequences.
Point #3: OBEDIENCE They stay true to their faith and accept God's will and refuse to worship the gold image. They are in total obedience to God and are thrown into the fire.
The Message: The King may have been impressed by the faith of these three Jewish men. He also may have been even more impressed by their willingness to accept whatever God's will was for them. However, without their total obedience, this incident never would have come to full fruition and as a result the King became a witness to the power of God. In turn, this witness had a profound effect on the King's attitude towards the God of Israel.
In closing, I pray that as Christians we would find strength and courage through the Holy Spirit to remain obedient to God in the face of the most challenging circumstances; that through our obedience we would bring recognition and glory to Jesus Christ; that the words we profess would be validated by our actions. It is my hope that many hearts would be softened by being a witness to the faith and obedience of the true followers of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
When the three faithful Jews arrived, the King demanded that they fall down at the onset of the music and worship the image. This was their response. "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up". Daniel 3:17,18 (NIV)
The King was outraged and had the furnace heated up to seven times hotter than normal and had the three men thrown into the furnace. The King looked into the furnace and saw that an angel of the Lord had rescued the three Jews. They were completely unharmed by the blazing fire. King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed that he verbally praised God, he decreed that anyone who spoke evil of God would be killed, and promoted the three Jews within the province of Babylon.
Point #1: FAITH The three Jewish men state that God is "able to save" us. They confess and believe that God can save them.
Point #2: RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE OF GOD'S WILL They say "but even if he does not save us, we will not serve your gods". They recognize that it may not be God's will to rescue you them from the fire, but they clearly state that they are willing to accept the consequences.
Point #3: OBEDIENCE They stay true to their faith and accept God's will and refuse to worship the gold image. They are in total obedience to God and are thrown into the fire.
The Message: The King may have been impressed by the faith of these three Jewish men. He also may have been even more impressed by their willingness to accept whatever God's will was for them. However, without their total obedience, this incident never would have come to full fruition and as a result the King became a witness to the power of God. In turn, this witness had a profound effect on the King's attitude towards the God of Israel.
In closing, I pray that as Christians we would find strength and courage through the Holy Spirit to remain obedient to God in the face of the most challenging circumstances; that through our obedience we would bring recognition and glory to Jesus Christ; that the words we profess would be validated by our actions. It is my hope that many hearts would be softened by being a witness to the faith and obedience of the true followers of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
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