Halloween before the face of God?

Every time this season rolls around I kinda cringe. The halloween season is upon us. What is a Christian to do. There are three main ways that I think Christians respond.

1. Abandon the holiday all together
2. Don't participate personally but use the opportunity to hand out tracts or give the gospel message to people that knock on their door
3. Embrace it and participate
4. (There is a fourth option that I will discuss in a later blog)

I think that any discussion about halloween needs to consider where it comes from and thus what it represents. There are a multitude of sites that claim to trace its history. Here is one as an example http://www.halloween-website.com/history.htm. 

The problem for the Christian is that to embrace this is to embrace a pagan holiday that is focused on evil. Now I know that some of you might say that its just clean fun. Some people play with Ouija boards and claim that it is just fun as well. I don't think most Christians have any confusion about Ouija boards. But what if the maker of Ouija boards gave you chocolate every time you played? Would we suddenly want to Christianize it. I think that the main reason most Christians get involved is that they don't want their kids to miss out on all of the fun and the candy. Yet is fun and candy a reason to get involved with something that is ostensibly a descent into things that are dark and fearful?

If Jesus stood before you and asked you to teach your children to think about things that are good and beautiful (Philippians 4:8) would you respond with halloween as an example of that? It seems like quite often the reasons that we engage in an activity are directed more out of a desire for fun than out of a serious consideration of how this impacts our life before Christ. What at first blush may seem innocuous has a seriously corrupt core. This day is centered on celebrating things that are a result of sin. Would we have any of the things that halloween celebrates if there were no sin in the world? If the answer is no then we must ask, "Should we join in such a celebration?"

Just look at the decorations that people put up if you have any questions about what the holiday is focused on. In the midst of such base things there is real opportunity. That opportunity is found in the people that come to your door. Here are kids that may need the gospel. They might want candy but a gospel tract or a simple gospel presentation might be exactly what those kids need to hear. We are called to be in the world but we are also called to not be of the world (1 John 2:15-16). This season of the year is an incredible opportunity to share the gospel and to teach our children to focus on God and all the great and glorious things that He has created.

Guarding Against the State god of Evangelism

I want to clarify up front that I do believe that street preaching done right with a real gospel message can be effective. However, we have a group of people that show up in our town to street preach that are marked by their condemnation. They seek to condemn almost anyone that walks past them and I have yet to hear them speak of the marvelous grace that is ours in Jesus. There is something these street preachers do that is a form of idolatry. They use video cameras for legal protection, and they make sure to mention that they are free to preach, because of the the free speech protections provided by the constitution.

Lets think about this for a moment in the light of scripture. Paul was a roman citizen (Acts 16:37, 22:25). By law he had the right to not be arrested and beaten. He may have had protected freedom of speech. We never see Paul exercise his Roman rights when he is out preaching to the masses. Paul only brings up his rights when he is in close contact with his Roman guards. Why? Well it seems pretty clear that the gospel does not need the protection of man. We should not depend upon the state to be our guardian before the world. The gospel and the gospel alone should be presented. To present the gospel along with a message that we bow the knee to the state in order to preach the gospel is confusing. What marks effective street evangelism?

First the world needs to know that the thing that drives us is care and concern for their eternal destiny. This love for them is driven by the unmerited love we have received from God (1 John 4:10).

Second they need to understand that there is a sin problem that separates them from God and eternal life (Romans 3:23, 6:23).

Third they need to know that grace is available to all of those who will repent of their sin and accept Jesus as Lord and God (2 Corinthians 12:9).

This is the core of the gospel. It starts in the love we have received from God and ends in the love that can be received by any repentant sinner. To add anything man made like freedoms or rights to this gospel message just confuses it, muddies it and weighs it down. So keep your eyes focused on the King of our future Kingdom when you step out into the kingdoms of this world. If we are aliens and strangers with God focused minds and hearts then we will return bearing God focused sheaves with us (Ephesians 2:17-19, Hebrews 11:13-16).

A Hitch in the day

Today is Monday and it is the official pray for Christopher Hitchens day. I would encourage anyone to pray for Christopher Hitchens. I personally hope that the Lord convicts him of his sin and changes his heart on his deathbed just before he dies.

I don't want other Christians to know if Christopher Hitchens came to Christ in the end. Why? Because too many of us cannot be trusted with that information. There would be smear campaigns geared at discrediting his books and his atheistic thinking. Far too much time would be spent on discussions of Mr. Hitchens deathbed conversion. No instead we should be taking the time that we would spend on something like that and spend it on sharing the gospel with other atheist and unbelievers that need to know Jesus.

The other reason I don't want us to know if he ultimately comes to know Jesus is that his logic is already faulty. In an article on today's prayer vigil for Christopher called, "Atheist Christopher Hitchens to Skip Prayer Day in His Honor" there are several quotes that point to the reality of what is missing from his base arguments. The article says:

As for his work, Hitchens says he would be happy to be recalled simply as one of those "who are attempting to uphold reason and science against superstition."

Where his logic breaks down is that I too would like to uphold reason as well as logic against superstition. You see we both look at each others belief as superstition. He would denigrate my belief in God. I would point to his belief in evolution and faith in the infallibility of science and say that that belief is faulty.

As late as the 16th and 17th century spontaneous generation of living things from non living things was believed by all scientist of any merit. One scientist even published directions for creating mice from dirty underwear and wheat in 21 days. This idea of spontaneous generation of life from non living matter had been in existence from the time of Aristotle. Oh yea I almost forgot Evolutionist still believe this one. I guess I need to find another superstition that they no longer hold to.

While this might bring a chuckle from some and groans from others the point is that this is what Hitchens and others like him do. They set Christians up to look superstitious or like nut cases and then they lampoon them in the name of science. What I am wanting you all to see here is that they think that they are doing the world a service. The reality is that they are living out what Paul said in Romans 1. They suppress the truth and become futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts are darkened (Romans 1:18, 21). We must have grace toward them just like God had toward us when we were like them.

Right now Christopher Hitchens is moving very rapidly into an eternity of bearing the wrath of God. This is something that I do not wish on anyone. Even if you missed praying for Hitchens on the official prayer day, pray for him now. We have an irresistible almighty God who can overcome and save even the hardest of hearts. Keep your eyes on Jesus and trust Him because He can save Christopher from the wrath to come.

Are we burning the Koran or the Cross?

The news media has been heating up over a proposed Koran burning. It is planned to be held on 9/11 at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fl. In a Foxnews.com article published on August 19th Pastor Terry Jones talked about the threats they have received and the reasons that they continue to move forward with the event. He cites things "like 9/11, Fort Hood, and the honor killings" as a reason for them to continue with their plans. The following is a quote from the article:

"We have thought about it, about the danger in holding the controversial event, and we realize that whenever we made this step, that this kind of thing could happen," he said. "But we feel it's that important, and the times call for some kind of radical measure in standing up."

New York Mayor Bloomberg made a statement today defending the right of the church to hold the burning. His reasoning is based on the first amendment right to freedom of speech. He compares this to the freedom of the Muslim community to build a mosque near ground zero. He said:

If you want to be able to say what you want to say when the time comes that you want to say it, you have to defend others, no matter how, how much you disagree with them.

While on the one hand I agree with the freedom of speech position, I must look at this from the perspective of how someone leading a God focused life should look at this. To begin with Pastor Terry's position strikes me as being clearly focused on making a stand. But a stand for what? The kingdom of God or the kingdoms of this world. Jesus told Pilate that His Kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). That if His kingdom was of this world His servants would fight for Him. Should we fight for anything? You could make the case that we should be the defender of the defenseless and the helper of the helpless. But is the church called to be the defender of freedom of speech or personal rights? This seems to be the God given responsibility of the state, not the church (Rom. 13:1-4).

We should ask ourselves this question:

• Will this action cause Muslims to be more open to the gospel?

If it does not advance the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds of other people is it really an activity we should pursue or support? I think not. In reality Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for your persecutors (Matt. 5:43-44). How is Dove World Outreach Center doing this? Looking at another interview posted on Foxnews.com Pastor Jones seems intent on pointing out the wrongs that he would like to see righted. While I think we all would like to see Muslim women treated better, it seems a far cry from the calling of the church, to demand Christian actions from Non-Christians. Jesus told his followers to deny themselves take up their cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34). Jesus essentially told us to forget about our personal rights.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:35-36

Is the existence of the Koran a real threat to the gospel? NO! The very gates of hell cannot prevail against the rock of the church (Matt. 16:18). What will make the biggest difference in the life of muslims around the world is grace filled God focused lives. When Muslims see Christians really embracing and living the love of God and demonstrating God's grace toward them then we will see hearts change. When we burn Koran's are we really burning our Christian witness to the grace we have received? Are we laying down the cross in that fire and picking up our rights instead? If we would see Muslim women treated better it must begin with changed hearts and that begins with a gospel presentation, given by a grace filled vessel.

God's pours out grace in abundance

Tonight we were able to share our faith for several hours at a local street fair where God has graciously allowed us to have a booth. Our goal in going there is to simply spread the seed of the gospel and pray that the Lord of the harvest will cause it to take root and bring souls to Him. God was abundantly gracious to us. A great group of like minded people joined us as we proceeded to share the gospel through tracts and personal evangelism. God brought many to hear. The number of people coming to us was so many and so continuous that we were looking at 9PM and tear down time and it really seemed like almost no time at all had past. I am amazed at the overwhelming number of people that He brought to us tonight. We did nothing to deserve this or merit it. We did nothing clever. There was no advertising gimmick. We simply have set up a booth at the street fair like we have for the last four years. God sent the people. All I can say is the we serve a God who does so much more than we could ever ask or think. He is magnificent and merciful. Pray for the many people who heard the gospel tonight. Pray that God will bring a great harvest to Himself for His glory. Pray that God will protect our souls from pride. That He will help us to keep our eyes on Him the author and finisher of our faith. Pray that He would be the apple of our eye and that we would remain focused on Him and His glory.

Why a common news story is an indictment of Christianity

On FoxNews there is a story called, "Should the West Ban the Burqa?" Article's like this point out the freedom of religion we enjoy in this country should allow women to dress in this manner. While I agree with the principle, the bigger issue for me is the failure of Christianity to be a relevant source of informed thinking. God has gotten pushed out of the public square. I think most Christians struggle with how we go about bringing a Christian World view to bear on issues in a relevant way. More often than not the Christian response is seen as a political one. This has been an utter failure. God's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Jesus said in the previous John passage that if His kingdom were of this world His servants would have been fighting. So if we are Jesus servants and His kingdom is not of this world, why are we fighting? About 4 years ago we did a survey in our local town and with about 90 responses we discovered that roughly 40% of the people we got to fill out surveys did not know why Jesus come to earth. They have heard Jesus talked about because He is very politicized. They just don't know why He came to earth. This problem of lack of information has one source. A failure of the church to train for and encourage outreach. We do not know how to bring a Christian world view to bear on the issues before us today because we have failed to teach people how to live God focused lives. We must help people to move from head knowledge to loving and pursuing Him with all of our hearts. It is only in loving God in the midst of life as it happens that we will begin to once again bring the word of God to bear in a relevant and meaningful way. Should the west ban the burqa? I don't know, but what I can tell you is that this might not even be a question we would be entertaining if the church had not failed to pass along the good news of the gospel to the next generation in a way that is relevant and meaningful to life and living.

What are we looking for in the search for freedom?

Today's blog has been triggered by an article on CNN called, "Bikini or headscarf -- which offers more freedom?" In it the woman who is being interviewed by Oprah is discussing how she married a muslim and how her daughter has taken to wearing a head scarf. She talks about the way that wearing a bikini as a young woman gave her a sense of power and freedom. She goes on to speak of how that same thing is happening for her daughter in a different way through the head scarf. What I find interesting in all of this is the base assumption that everyone tacitly understands. That assumption is that we need to be freed. No one really talks about what we are seeking to be freed from, just that we need to be freed. What kind of freedom does a woman in a bikini get? She gets the freedom to control the attention of men. She gets the freedom to express (or expose as the case may be) herself. This is essentially a grabbing of attention using her body. It is man centered. It is a re-enacting of the lie the serpent told Eve in the garden. You shall be as god's (Genesis 3:5). The head scarf is the same sort of thing turned inside out. The woman in the head scarf is submitting herself to Allah and essentially working her way to heaven. The same lie out of Genesis applies here. She is seeing herself as capable of appeasing god somehow. She has power with god because of what she does. Romans 3:10-12 sums it up nicely by saying no one does  good not even one. When people do things in the flesh that are for the sake of personal freedom pay attention. In most instances what they want freedom from is freedom from a righteous and holy God. The girl in the bikini wants to be free of moral restraint. The woman in the head scarf wants freedom from a God that you cannot please or satisfy with your actions. You see God has written His law on our hearts (Romans 2:15). Our consciences seek to accuse us or excuse us. Our hearts should go out to these people. We have found freedom in Christ (Galatians 2:4, 5:1). As we pursue a God focused life it is my prayer that God would cause us to share our freedom in Christ with those who have not yet come to experience that freedom.

The God who establishes our steps

Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to share my faith with a couple of guys at a street fair in Pleasanton. It was a great conversation and time of interaction. The guys I was speaking with did not believe that there is a God but walked away with a gospel of John (pray that they read it). One of the reasons that I believe I was speaking with them on Wednesday evening is found in Proverbs 16:9  “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” It is easy to see God establishing our steps for things like interactions where we get to share our faith. But how about the things that don't seem so kingdom of God oriented. Did God establish your steps to the grocery store? Did God establish your vacation? Did God establish the car accident you were in? How about the cancer you were diagnosed with? You see if we really believe that God establishes all of our steps and all of our interactions then the things we see as challenging that happen are to shape, restrain us, mold us and ultimately cause us to depend on God more. When we really see God as the establisher of our steps we come to realize that no matter what we have planned God has something more. So that little interruption that messed up your train of thought or the traffic that made you late all are God's hand directing us to trust in Him and the way that He establishes our steps.

Why do people kill people?

An article today on Foxnews.com titled, "Jamaica's Bloody Lesson On Guns" talks about how banning guns for citizens does not keep them out of the hands of criminals. Even if the criminals are on islands with no easy access to areas where gun controls are not in place. Every time I see one of these articles it seems to me that they always overlook the most important part of this problem. People kill people because the heart of man is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9, Genesis 8:21). Taking away an evil persons means of producing evil does not stop the intent to produce evil. What must be dealt with is man's desire to do evil. There is only one person that can deal with man's evil desire and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. If we would see people stop their evil ways we must introduce them to the one who conquered sin, death and evil for all time. If we would seek to live a God focused life we would find that God begins to change us so that we might be more effective in helping to really help introduce the seeds of change in the hearts of others.

Grassfire or misfire???

I receive e-mails from a political action group called grassfire because I signed a petition at the urging of a friend a few years ago. I received a new request to sign a petition on May 17th. It was for another group called the Media Research Center. Here are the opening lines of the petition request.

The Media Research Center has just launched an important
petition opposing Comedy Central's plans to air a cartoon
series about Jesus Christ called "JC" where he would move
to New York to "escape his father's enormous shadow."

I'm urging all members of our team to read the details
below and then sign this important MRC petition.

Before you just close this window I really want you to read this and consider what our response as Christians ought to be. I looked up the source material on the Media Research Center web site. The first is an article called "Jesus, Mohammed, and Comedy Central". The second is the actual petition that you can sign called, "Petition Opposing Comedy Central’s New Faith-Bashing Show and the Anti-Christian Double Standard". These are links that will take you to these sites if you so desire.

To begin who are the people who are promoting this hatred of Jesus Christ. And make no mistake they are bashing the Jesus of Christianity not the Jesus of Mormonism or the Jesus of the Jehovah's Witnesses (I know these are both cults but this is an important distinction). If they were bashing the Jesus of these cults they would not cast Jesus as the Son of God. The people at Comedy Central that are planning on making this cartoon series are natural men. They are spiritually dead. They are pagans and we can expect them to do pagan things. The truth is they hate God and the idea of God for good reason (Romans 1:18-25). They are under God's wrath for their unrighteousness. They cannot truly understand a Christians reaction to these things because our reason for not liking them is we have been made spiritually alive and they are spiritually dead (1 Corinthians 2:14). They particularly hate Jesus because He will ultimately testify of the evil of their deeds (John 7:7). In short we should expect the unsaved pagan world to hate Jesus and ultimately to hate us (John 15:18-19, 1 John 3:13).

This presents a dilemma for us as Christians seeking to live a life that is focused on God. The unsaved world has a certain amount of respect for Muslims because their faith is not a true faith. Their faith is a faith that claims you can repent and do good works that will appease their god. In a sense they make man powerful and able to influence God. The Muslim makes demands that comedy central not do something and they capitulate because there is no real condemnation from Mohammed or Islam. We are called by Christ to be different. In Matthew 5:39 Jesus called us to not resist the one who is evil...but to turn the other cheek. The actions of Comedy Central are evil and have a blasphemous and evil intent. Surely they have slapped all of us as Christians. Should we be responding by demanding to be treated with the same respect as Muslims and other cults? Wouldn't Jesus have us turn the other cheek? Paul in Romans 12:19 calls us never to avenge ourselves but to leave it to the wrath of God. After all vengeance is God's and He will repay.

The second part of our dilemma is how do we love these folks at Comedy Central? In Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus clearly calls us to love our enemies. He wants us to be different from the world. If you read the petition you will find that it is not different from the world. It is demanding that we be treated like the rest of the world. It asserts our rights and makes accusations. I do not see how anyone at Comedy Central will feel loved upon receiving this petition. We have an opportunity before us to do something different from the world and yet it looks like we are going to botch it. What we should be doing is seeing this as an open confession of their sinful hearts. Then we should figure out how to reach out to these guys and demonstrate the love of Jesus to them. At this point we would be demonstrating a trust in the ability of the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sins (John 16:7-11). Brothers and sisters lets not start a grassfire on this one. I believe it will only be a misfire that is bound to backfire. Lets instead seek to live a God focused life and realize that He has got this under control. This should free us to love those who are doing this evil in a way that perhaps might bring them to the feet of Jesus. After all isn't that what were here for anyway?

Evangelistic followup

I thought that this topic would be appropriate because it fits with this current series and is usually misunderstood. The person who has truly repented and has come to recognize Jesus as their Lord is going to be a different person. You will not need us to coax them to come to church or join a Bible study. They will have a hunger to know about their new Lord. You see Jesus has given them a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). We do not have to work to keep them in the faith. Jesus is able to keep them to present them and us before the throne of glory with great joy (Jude 1:24). The other thing that is often a concern is that they will fall away because some one will entice them away from the faith. This cannot happen because no man is able to take them out of His (Jesus) hand (John 10:27-30). I hear people talking about the person who has become a carnal christian (I think this is an oxymoron). They express concern that someone has backslidden and stopped coming to church. There is one answer to both of these situations and we fail to address the people who are in this as we should because we excuse them. John clearly says in 1 John 2:19 that they went out from us because they were not of us. If we really love people as we claim we do we will pursue them as people who have never heard the gospel.
What is it that we should do with the new believer. We should see to it that they are baptized and we should seek to disciple them. Discipleship is a Biblical concept that involves relational commitment. It is about training a person how to grow in Christ. Follow-up could be that but it often falls far short of that. The goal of discipleship should be to help someone understand how to bring everything in their lives into subjection to their Lord Jesus. In this we are helping them to live a God focused life.

Evangelistic fundamentals

This post I would like to look at a few things that are important when sharing the gospel. In order to show the importance of getting the gospel right I am going to bash what is probably a sacred cow for many people. Lets look at the, "Four Spiritual Laws". I personally used this method in the past and have seen many use it. There are several problems with the message here that are important because they put roadblocks to repentance in the gospel message.
It begins with God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. This is a problem. Everyone you talk to loves themselves and they have a wonderful plan for their lives too. If God has a wonderful plan for their lives then God is on the same page as they are. This is misleading at best. Romans 1:18-21 tells us that the unsaved man does not want God. They do not honor God or give thanks to Him. Malachi 1:4 says that God is angry with the wicked forever. So to tell someone that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life is a lie because if they reject God He will be angry with them forever.
So this brings us to important point number 1 which is ironically point number 2 in the four spiritual laws. Fallen man must first and foremost recognize that he has a problem with God. He has sinned against God and needs to be reconciled to God or face His wrath forever (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Jesus never shied away from talking about hell. He talked about it more than He talked about heaven. This is the present potential state of the unsaved person we are witnessing to. The other thing that is really important here is that Jesus pointed out to people that the sin problem was a personal problem. In other words Jesus made sure that His hearers understood that the problem of their separation from God was a personal one. They are not just a part of a group. They have personally sinned against God. It is not just an issue of being unable to know and experience God's love and plan. They are in very real danger of eternal damnation because of their personal sin and rejection of Jesus. It is only in recognizing their separation problem and the seriousness of it that we have any hope of introducing a real solution to them. It is like Jesus said He did not come for the well but for the sick (Matthew 9:12).
This brings us to point number two. When someone clearly recognizes that they are sick or in need then we introduce them to Jesus. Jesus is the answer to their separation from God. The 4 Spiritual Laws would have us looking to get God's love and this great plan. I think this misses the whole point of Jesus death. Jesus died so that we might be reconciled back to God. It is not about getting God's love or some great plan. We get God. Sure we get His love in the mix but the reason Jesus died was to reconcile man back to God (Romans 5:8). The Gospel is not about God accommodating Himself to men and their plans with a big showering of love. The Gospel is about taking men who hate God showing them they are sick and in need and introducing them to the one who can heal them and make them acceptable to God. This is the Gospel it is God focused and it brings people to repent of their sin and place their faith in the Lord of all Jesus the Christ (Romans 10:9-10).

Evangelistic motivation

As I reflected on the past two blogs and a thoughtful comment from Dwayne that added some great clarity I thought I might pursue some other aspects of this topic that I think are really important. From the perspective of living a God focused life what should be someones motivation to share the gospel. In many ways this is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to the focus of our theology. If you follow a man centered view of God then your motivation will be something like this:

Man is responsible before God for his sin and man is in need of a Savior. Jesus told us to be the ones to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19) so it is my responsibility. If I do not go then they will not hear and they might go to hell if I fail them so I must go. I don't want to see people in eternity looking at me and asking me why I did not tell them. 

In this scenario God is simply a responder to man. He stands on the sidelines and waits to be called in to play and do His part. In this situation if I fail to tell someone then their eternal damnation might be on my hands. The main motivation in this situation is guilt and/or fear.
In a God focused God centered scenario it might look something like this:

Man is responsible before God for his sin and rejection of God. Man is dead in his sins (Ephesians 2:1-3) and he hates God being presented to him in any way even though he desperately needs Jesus (Romans 1:18-20). The reason that the natural man hates God is because God would dethrone the god of self from our lives. The main way in which God does this is through the work of evangelism (Romans 10:13-17). The Holy Spirit uses the words of men to communicate the message of salvation found in the Bible to hearts of the fallen (Ephesians 2:5). This communicated word of God brings about a work of redemption that leads to repentance. It is through this manifest grace and faith that one comes to Christ and is saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). God began the work and he will complete it (Philippians 1:6). My role in evangelism is simply the sower of seed (Matthew 13:1-23). Truly if God did not intervene in preparing hearts no one would ever come to Him because no seed would ever take root (Ezekiel 36:26).

In this scenario God is the initiator and the central player. He does not stand on the sidelines but is in play in all people's lives at all times. He even sustains my breath as I write this (Daniel 5:23). What then is my motivation to share the good news? When I look at God's creation and realize who saved me it is incredible. Just think the one who made all of the most magnificent most majestic and most awe inspiring things that we see is more magnificent than all of them put together. This utterly inspiring and incomprehensible being not only has forgiven me and saved me but has adopted me as His child and desires for me to know Him. I can hardly contain the thought. He has others that He is calling. They need to hear. He has asked me to be a messenger just like He has asked all believers. He asked me! I used to be a rebel against Him and He wants me to represent Him. I feel completely inadequate to be that representative but He promises that the Spirit He has sent to indwell me will be the one to apply the word to the hearts of others. How awesome is that! So I prepare as best as I can, to be a faithful and good representative and I go because He has called me to. We have this incredible privilege to share this great news with people who are in desperate need. My motivation is a great honor that is bestowed on me that I do not deserve and a great love that has been poured out on me that I can't comprehend. There is no guilt. There is no fear. There is only the joy of sharing this news and the anticipation of the joy that someone else will get to experience as well. So join me in the God focused evangelistic quest as we share the marvelous message of redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Evangelism comaraderie

As I reflected on the evangelism confusion that seems to exist in the church I thought it would be appropriate to focus on the camaraderie that exist with others who share their faith. We seem to be a small group and I pray that God will burden more for the work that needs to be done. But there is a precious fellowship and joy that exist with those you run across who also share their faith with others on a regular basis. Last evening as we were handing out tracts and sharing our faith we were joined by people from at least 4 different churches in the area. It is excellent to share in the bond of fellowship with people who want nothing more than to help others discover the marvelous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. His exaltation is our goal and we pray that His name was magnified. So if you have a desire to share your faith, get some training in Biblical evangelism. There are several different groups you could get help from. The Way of the Master with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron has a training that I think is available for free if you cannot afford it. They can be found at http://www.biblicalevangelism.com/. Find a friend and begin to team up to share with others. If you do not have a like minded friend begin to share and God will soon bring you in touch with others that share their faith as well. Keep your eyes focused on the King of kings because He is the one who brings the harvest. Ask Him to send forth laborers into the harvest (Luke 10:2) then go out there and join them. You will never regret it.

Evangelism confusion

Tonight we were out sharing our faith at a local street fair. We have a booth that our church pays for and the reason that we are there is to share the gospel. I thought I would relate one instance in particular. I shared the gospel with three young men. I use a very interactive question and answer type of dialog in order to engage them and walk them through the gospel. There was a young man who would come up from time to time and then he would go away. After sharing the gospel with them and making sure that they were clear on the salvation that has been offered to them in Jesus Christ I sent them on their way. The thing that makes me pause is that within a few minutes the guy from the edges of the conversation comes up to me almost crying in gratitude for me sharing the gospel with his friends. He was so glad that I had given his friends the gospel message. Now don't get me wrong. I am excited to be able to share the gospel. But there is nothing special or magical about me or my words. This young man who was so grateful could have been the one to share the gospel with these guys. I bet if I had pressed the issue I would have found out that he really did not understand how to share the gospel. Oh I am sure he could give his testimony. I do not doubt his genuine gratefulness. To be honest I do not think that the problem really is his.
What I have found is that there is an overwhelming rejection of personal evangelism among most people that call themselves evangelicals. This rejection has been initiated and fostered by pastors. Dozens of pastors have asked me with an air of incredulity, "Does that really work?!?" The resounding answer is yes it does. The other common thing is that people are claiming to go out to do evangelism but what they are really doing is name it and claim it theology on the street. They go out and pray for healing of headaches and backaches etc. So they spend a lot of time looking for just the right person and are not really equipped to share the gospel message. They may not even know how to share the gospel message. When you live a God focused life you are going to come to understand that healing evangelism and lifestyle evangelism are poor substitutes for evangelism. The God focused life causes us to realize that we have met and know the most incredible being that has ever existed. Why would I want to share anything less than the way to know Him. The gospel message in a nutshell is this: In order to know Jesus people must recognize that they have sinned against God and are in a desperate situation without hope apart from Jesus. People need to know that they must repent and believe on the Lord Jesus. People will not get this from watching us or having us pray for healing. Anyone can do it, you just have to have the reality of how magnificent Christ is burned into your heart by constantly gazing at Him. People really do need to hear this message and someone really does need to tell them. Who will tell your friends? Will it be you? Or will you wait for someone else and be really grateful that your friends finally heard? Will they ever hear? What's it going to be?