Motivations for Ministry

What should the motivations of God's workman be? What are the Biblical reasons to minister to others?

1. The Glory of God
Our first motivation for ministry should be the glory of God. The goal of all ministry is to serve Christ, for as we do it to one of the least of these, we have done it for Christ. We must minister out of a heart desire to glorify God. "...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31b

While we do minister to people, serving people cannot be the focus of our ministry. Otherwise, our ministry ceases to be ministry and becomes a humanitarian work and a work of our flesh. This is important. Ministry can become an idol in that it can become our focus. We cannot truly love or minister to people if they are at the center of lives. If our goal is merely to help people, we will not be much help. However, if our chief goal is to glorify God and we lift up His name, God promises that He will draw men unto Himself.

Compassion for people will not always sustain you. People will not always appreciate your efforts to reach them with the gospel. Many laborers for Christ have been killed, tortured, and imprisoned for serving Christ. Not only this, there are people who you will not feel like ministering to that will require you to draw on God's strength in order to love and serve them. Jesus tells us if our enemy is hungry to feed Him. Truly, if we are merely serving man, we will quit when we aren't appreciated or when the man we are to serve happens to be our enemy.

The apostle Paul was faithful to the end of his ministry. He wrote these words: "For am I seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."  Galatians 1:10. Paul offers us great insight into ministry in this passage. If we are not motivated by devotion to Christ and a desire to glorify Him, we will stop ministering as soon as we wear out or are persecuted. If we are simply serving man, we will not persevere. Our highest goal in ministry must be to serve God.

2. Love
Our second motivation for ministry should be love for our others. While our chief goal in ministry is not to serve man, we should love man. Without love, we will wear out. The Bible tells us love "does not seek it's own" (1 Cor 13:5). We see from this text that love is self sacrificial. Love seeks the good of others at one's own expense. It will take christian love to be able to continue ministering to people who don't appreciate you, take advantage of you, or even mistreat you.

We read in 1 John 3:13-14 and 16, "Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." We shouldn't be surprised if the very people we are ministering to hate us. Once Christ saves us though, we ought to love others as Christ loved us. We ought to lay down our lives for others in love as Christ laid down His. We ought to love others at all cost, even if it costs us our lives. This is true love. This is the kind of love that should motivate us to minister.

 It took love for Elizabeth Elliot to take the gospel to the people who killed her husband. She went back and faced violent Auca tribes people because she still loved them even after they had murdered her beloved husband. This is the power of the love of Christ.

It took love for Jacob Deshazer to take the gospel back to the people who had brutally tortured him for years in POW prisons. Upon seeing the head prison guard of one of the prisons he stayed in, Jacob said,"We meet today in the presence of the God who loves and offers forgiveness to everyone." He was able to offer forgiveness to his former torturer because he had the love of Christ.

 It took love for Jesus to say,"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." as the people stood in the crowd and mocked Him. This is the kind of love it takes to fulfill your ministry.

May we be faithful ministers who seek the glory of God and who love others.

Four Components of True Ministry

What is true ministry? What is it comprised of, and how is it accomplished? 

1. True ministry is accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit.  

Without the work of the Holy Spirit, nothing is accomplished. The Holy Spirit is not to be thought of as a necessary ingredient that is added to our efforts to prosper our ministry. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can minister to people's souls, and He uses our efforts in the work He is doing. We do not accomplish ministry; we participate in God's work.

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart form Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." John 6:36

2. True ministry is accomplished by prayer.

Since we have no power in ourselves to minister to people's souls, we must pray for an outpouring of the Spirit. We must pray that God would do what only He can do: change hearts, give strength, provide comfort, and build up His Church. Prayer is the key to joining the ministry God is doing. In prayer we intercede on behalf of our fellow men, and God does the work.

3.True ministry is accomplished through sharing the Word.

People do not need our wisdom or our ideas. They need God's Word and His wisdom. "The grass withers and the flower falls off, but the Word of The Lord endures forever." God's Word is never outdated. It is"the power of God unto salvation." It is sufficient to revive men's souls and to sustain them after salvation. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds form the mouth of God." Scripture is sufficient for ministering to others' various spiritual needs, and it is an indispensable tool in ministry.

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul  and the spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

"All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

4. True ministry is accompanied by ministry to physical needs.

Jesus set an example of caring for people's spiritual and physical needs. God also cared for His people's physical needs in the Old Testament. God knows our physical and spiritual needs and cares for both. We should do likewise. We are told to love our neighbors in Scripture. Man is both spiritual and physical. We should love their their soul and care for their body. 

Ministry to men's souls and physical needs is important. One should not be without the other. 

"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" James 2:17

"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:16-18

May we be faithful ministers of the gospel, and may we faithfully minister to our fellow men through the power of the Spirit and the Word of God, praying on their behalf and caring for their physical needs.

A Lesson From my Blueberry Bushes

I planted six different types of blueberries this year. After testing our soil, I realized it was defficient in everything. We added pete moss, pine needles, and a host of other things to the soil before planting them. After all the work of planting the bushes, I had to pay close attention to when they needed watering. I did this in hopes of them producing blueberries.

My little sister said to me the other day, "When we planted those bushes, we had to wait a long time before we got to have the blueberries." I agreed with her and explained that it's that way in all of life.

Often we work hard and do not get anything back right away. Even in doing kingdom work, you may not see the results until Christ returns. We must preach the gospel without losing heart. We may not get to see the results of our witnessing, but we are called to be faithful. We should share the gospel out of obedience to Christ and love for Him. We can rest assured that His word will accomplish His purposes.

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

 Galatians 6:9

The Little Girl At The Laundromat

She held out her sticky popsicle to me and offered me a lick. The little girl looked about seven years old. "Oh, thank you. I'm okay." I said with a smile. "What's your name?" I asked. The little girl looked at me with her dark eyes and said "Bree"."What a pretty name; my name is Dallas. Is that a good popsicle?" Bree nodded shyly. My older sister and I sat waiting for our clothes to finish drying at the laundromat, and Bree, who was waiting with her mother, had wandered over to us.

My sister and I continued to talk to her. We played a game of tic-tack-toe and drew together on some paper my sister had with her. As we drew, I asked Bree, "Do you know who Jesus is?" She looked up and thought for a moment before replying in her little voice "Um... yeah, He's up there." She pointed upwards.  I asked her if she knew who Adam and Eve were, but she did not. I told her the story and explained that they disobeyed God and had to be separated from Him. I also explained that we too have disobeyed God, and we would have to die and be separated from Him too. I asked her if she knew what Jesus did for her so that she would not have to die and be separated from God. She did not, so I told her that Jesus is God's Son and God sent Him to earth to save us. He never sinned and He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. I told her that if she asked God to forgive her and trusted in Him, that He would forgive her and give eternal life.

We had to dry our clothes at the laundromat because my little sister's asthma got worse when we dried them at home. I had brought a book to read while I waited, but God had something else planned. I did not know I would have an opportunity to share the gospel. Sometimes our opportunities to share the gospel come to us in unexpected places, and sometimes all we have to do is ask a few questions and show kindness to others. It could be a sticky little girl with a popsicle or an old lady sitting on the bench at Walmart. It could be somebody who you do not know, or it might be somebody in your own home. It is important to, "always [be] ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;" 1Peter 3:15. The truth is, we have many opportunities to share the gospel; sometimes we just do not make good use of them. Who knows, you might have an opportunity today. Ask God to help you make the most of every opportunity He gives you, and be sensitive to the spirit.

Out of Comfort Zones

"You're really making me feel uncomfortable right now. Can we please just not talk about this any more?"

Walking on Eggshells
I had been sharing my faith with a group of people around my age. This girl had already told me she was an atheist, and I must admit to you, I was a bit out of my own comfort zone. I was not intimidated by her beliefs, but I just don't like to make people feel discomfort. I like people to think I am "Such a nice girl" and that I am "So sweet". We can come up with many different reasons not to share the gospel. Sometimes we just do not want to make others feel uncomfortable though, and we feel like we are walking on eggshells. Whatever our reasons are, we must put them aside. We do not have to feel comfortable or make others comfortable; we just have to be obedient and share the gospel.

Time
I had one evening to spend with these strangers, most of which was quite interrupted. There was only a  short window of time that I could actually talk to these people. As I prepared my mind for the evening, I thought about what I wanted to say to them. I was determined that I would not let my opportunities slip through my fingers. I knew that I would probably never see these people again. Ephesians 5:16 says to "[make] the most of your time because the days are evil." One reason we must not be too concerned with  others' momentary comfort, is because we have limited time with them. We may not ever get another chance to share the gospel, and we cannot count on tomorrow. We must have eternity in view, not just the moment.

Loving Your Neighbors!
Christ did not command us to make others feel comfortable; He commanded us to love others. The most loving thing we can do for another person is to share the gospel with them. We must love them more than we love ourselves, our popularity, and even their opinion of us. Love for others must drive us to share the gospel. If we aren't sharing the gospel, then we do not truly love others.

Our God-given Ministry
What is a Christian's ministry? Are we supposed to end world hunger, lessen poverty levels, care for the sick and the elderly? Yes, we are supposed to do all of these things, but that is not our primary ministry. These causes cannot replace our main ministry. According to scripture Christ, "gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." Our ministry is to share the gospel! This takes effort and we might not always feel comfortable doing it, but this is the work that God has given us to do.

Squirmy Syndrome
I replied to the girl,"Sure we don't have to talk about this anymore, but please think about what I said, because it doesn't matter what I believe if it's not true. If I didn't believe in gravity and jumped of a building, I'd still have to face the law of gravity. I guess if I die and I'm dead, then I won't even know it. But if I'm right, and you die then you will have to face God on judgement day."OF COURSE SHE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE! She was uncomfortable because her conscience told her that there was a God and she had been suppressing the truth (Romans 1). She knew there was a God but she didn't want there to be one. She was uncomfortable because deep inside she wasn't convinced of her own beliefs. Truly, if I had tried to explain to her that I had a little man who was one inch tall that lived in my pocket she would have laughed. She would not feel uncomfortable at all. She was uncomfortable because she thought she might be wrong and she didn't want what I said to be true. In fact she went to the restroom three times during the fifteen minute period I was sharing the gospel. She literally couldn't stay still.

Do not be surprised if no one claps for you, shouts encore, or ask for your autograph after you share the gospel. Others will probably be uncomfortable, and you may be uncomfortable too. If you share the gospel though, you have been successful! Your job is just to share the gospel faithfully. For some of us, that may be out of our comfort zones. Sometimes Jesus calls us to walk on raging seas though. The key is to fix our eyes on Jesus not the waves. It is outside our comfort zones that miracles happen, and if we fall Jesus is faithful and will pull us up when we call out to Him.

Life- Something I'm Passionate About

Passion and Compassion

I have just finished Jessica Shaver's book Gianna Aborted... and Lived to Tell About It on the life of Gianna Jessen. As I read the book, it sparked a passion and compassion in me. I appreciated that it told the mother's story. It really gave me compassion for Gianna's biological mother, Tina. The book also put a face on the babies that are aborted daily by giving me someone to identify with. As I read about the life of Gianna, I was struck with the fact that her life was almost ended before her story was ever told. She personalized the "blobs of tissue" for me. The book also exposed how her mother had been lied to and was repentant when her baby was born alive. Tina realized what she did was wrong and was truly sorry. I feel deep compassion for women like Tina. I feel deep compassion for anyone who has had an abortion.

Personalized

As I read the book though, I realized that although I already believed in life from conception, it had not really registered in my mind fully. Aborted babies were not personal to me. In a way, I thought of these babies as someone never given a chance to live out their story. What I failed to realize though, was the fact that these babies' stories had already begun. I was against abortion, but I had a misunderstanding. I thought  the babies were alive, but I contradicted myself in thinking they had not been given a chance to live. Life in the womb is still life. It is still a story. It is how everyone's story began.

What Would You Do?

As I sat pondering all of this, I asked myself, "If these are living children, what would I do in any other situation where children were being murdered? If I knew innocent children where being slaughtered legally and that somebody was making a living off of it, I would do something!" What would you do if you knew that children were being murdered in a particular building nearby?  Babies in the womb are alive even though we cannot see them. Abortion is no different. It is the American Holocaust. We must pray, speak, and act!

Something Worth Fighting For

Unborn babies' lives are worth fighting for, but how much more is the life of people's souls! People need the gospel. My life goal is not to end abortion. That will be ended when God comes back. I will give my life for the sake of Christ. If I give my life to any other name or cause, I have only been successful in making an idol. True success was accomplished when Christ triumphed over death on the cross. My life goal is to glorify God and to spread the gospel. There is no greater name nor cause! If you want to live your life well, give it up for the only One who is worthy!

Two Victims

We should stand up for these babies, but never forget we must speak truth to their mothers too! The baby is not the only victim. The mothers are victims to lies! As scripture says " the truth will set you free". These women need to hear the truth.

Concluding Thoughts

I'd like to end with these verses: "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate.

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

                              Life is precious, no matter how small!
                           Originally posted on 2/4/13

My Favorite Tract

 There is a great tract by Paul Washer that I like to give to the checkers at the store or our waiters. I also leave them in bathroom stalls sometimes. When I hand it to someone, I just say, "This is for you; have a great day!" and then smile. People usually smile back and say "Thank you." Only once has someone refused me. She said," No thanks.", so I just smiled and said, "Okay. Have a great day ma'am!" Many people take them though, and I just pray they will read them and God will prepare thier hearts to recieve the gospel! 

These tracts do not replace one on one witnessing conversations, but I like to use them when I can not share the gospel otherwise; for example, it would not be good to hold up the line behind you at a check out in order to share the gospel. Sometimes I give them to people after I have shared the gospel with them. They are mostly scripture, and that is what I like about them. This is currently my favorite tract! To view them click here.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 For I am not ashamed to the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Keeping Small Talk Small

"It's a nice day, isn't it?"

"Yes! I love it when the sun is out. How have you been lately?"

"Good! How are you?"

"Good! Thanks!"

"That dress is so cute!"

"Thanks!"

"So, what have you been doing lately?"

"I've got this paper I've got to write for English. It's been keeping me busy!"

"Oh, I hope that goes well! Well, I've got to go. I'm going to go shopping with Anna."

"Okay. See you, girl!"

Big Small Talk
I have heard many conversations that have gone something like this one. What was accomplished through this conversation, and who was benefited? No one! There is a time and place for small talk, but so often small talk has becomes all talk. We can talk forever about things that do not matter and never get to what is important! Matthew 12:36 says, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak," This is a sobering verse! I have realized how small talk has become too big in my own life, and I have been trying to be more intentional about the conversations I have.

Meeting Someone New
When you meet someone new, she might feel uncomfortable if the first thing you ask is, "What do you think the meaning of life is?" It is important to connect with the person first, but I have realized that "connecting" does not require as much time as I once thought it did. When I meet someone new, I like to introduce myself and ask a few questions, but after this, I try to go deeper.

Directing Conversation
Rather than just letting my conversations go where they will, I am learning to take hold of the reigns and direct the conversation. I start by asking a simple question, "So, do you go to church anywhere around here?" The usual reply is, "Yeah, I go to such and such a church." I then say, "Oh, okay. So how do you believe people are saved?"

You would be surprised to discover how many different responses church-goers give! I have gotten many different answers since I have started asking people this question. One girl said, "I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that out." One boy said, "Keeping God's law." Another person told me that she believed that baptism saved you. Others have said, "Accepting Christ into your heart," or "Believing in God, and doing good stuff too." After hearing what they believe, I am better able to share the gospel with them because I know where they are coming from. (The word gospel means good news. See post entitled "Death" to see what the good news is!)

Getting Past Shut Doors
Sometimes people will brush off the second question because they do not know the answer or because they are ashamed. One lady said after I asked her how she believed a person is saved, "There are two things I don't talk about at work because there is such a wide variety of views here, and I don't want to fight, and that is politics and religion." What I decided to do was share the gospel with her anyways in a gentle way. I said, "It's good that you want to keep the peace, but there's nothing more important than your eternal salvation. I just wanted to make sure you knew that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and salvation is only through faith in Him."

Zeal Without Knowledge
I have learned that many people who go to church have never heard the true gospel, and they may have even been taught lies! Many people are very devoted to "god", but their god is not the God of the Bible. Even Islam claims that Jesus was a prophet, but they have created a different Jesus. The Church of Christ believes that Jesus is the way to salvation, but that He saves through baptism of water and His death on the cross. (Which, by the way, is contrary to Scripture. Water baptism has no saving power.) Jehovah's Witnesses do not worship Jehovah, but the god of a man-made religion. There are many religions that include "Jesus", but he is not the Jesus of Scripture. There are even many religions that use parts of Scripture, but do not embrace all of Scripture, such as Mormonism and Catholicism.  

"Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God." Romans 10:1-3. 

Yes, people who go to Church meetings need the gospel too!

What if They Already Know?
Sometimes people can give you the right answer, without really understanding what they are saying. One girl told me that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that is how we are saved. I replied, "Yes! You're right, but just because Jesus died does not mean everyone is saved. The Bible says that even the demons believe, so how is His righteousness applied to us?" She said, "Well, no one's ever really asked me that before. You just believe in Him, but you have to do good stuff too." Then I was able to say, "Well, the book of Ephesians says, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works so that no one may boast.' We are saved by trusting in Christ for our righteousness. God gives us a new heart, and we are able to obey Him." She then said, "Yeah, I believe what you believe, but I just didn't know how to say it."

At the beginning of our conversation, I was concerned that she might believe you have to earn part of your salvation. It turned out that she already believed and understood the gospel, but neither of us lost anything! Afterwards I shook her hand and greeted her as a sister in Christ. It is our job to share the gospel, and we have no idea who needs to hear it, so we should share it every chance we get! That means we will run into people who are already saved, but we will also share it with people who are lost.

What if They Say No?
My reason for asking people if they go to church is to bring up their beliefs. I find it more natural than starting with, "What do you think happens when you die?" There are many ways to do it though; that is just my style. If they don't go to church anywhere, you can still find out what they believe because you are already on the topic! There are many questions you could ask as a springboard into the gospel, such as, "Who do you think Jesus was? What do you think happens when you die? Do you consider yourself to be a good person?" 

Granted Ministries has a great tract by Charles Leiter entitled "Good Teacher or God Incarnate?" that is full of scriptures about who Christ said He was. When you are talking to someone about who they think Christ was, you can tell them who He said He was and then share the gospel. This tract does not present the gospel but I think it is a great tool for witnessing! 

Is it Our Business?
Is it really our business to talk about what others beliefs are? Is it rude to ask others about the state of their soul? Yes, it is our business. And no, it is not rude. It is the loving thing to do! As Christians, our business is to be about God's business! Christ said, "Go therefore and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19.  We should not be ashamed of the gospel! Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." We can have confidence that when we share the Gospel, God will save whom He wills!

Plan Ahead!
There are many ways to turn a conversation to important things. The key is to plan ahead. If you do not have a plan, your conversations will just happen how they happen. Come up with your own ways to bring up a person's beliefs, and then purpose in your heart to steer your conversations to what matters most.

Always be sure to pray first that God will give you boldness and help you know what to say. Remember, you cannot fail if you are being faithful. Just do your best, and God can take your "loaves and fishes" and multiply them! You do not have to defend God or the Scriptures! They can stand alone! Just proclaim God's Word!

Conversations With Believers
The most important thing is a person's salvation! If I have never met someone before, I like to talk with them about their soul because I may never get another chance to share it with them again. But what about friends who you know are Christians? It is easy to talk about small things with them as well, but as believers we have much better things to talk about! You can ask them what God's been teaching them lately or ask how you could pray for them. You could share things God's been showing you or exhort them in areas they are growing in. 

You can talk about the good books you have been reading!

You can discuss theology or important issues. You can "spur one another on to good works." You can talk about history and many other things! Just seek to talk about things that matter! 

This begs the question, "What really does matter?" Maybe that would be a good thing for you to study in Scripture, pray about, and even bring up in your conversations. 

Keep Small Talk Small!
Let us seek to use our tongues for the glory of God, the edification of the saints, and the spreading of the gospel!  Let us discuss the things that truly matter in life and, as Ephesians says, "make the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Let us keep small talk, well, small!

The Pursuit of Happiness

What's He Searching For?

What is man searching for?  He is pursuing happiness. Yes, this is what I see man searching for. He looks for something to fill the deep emptiness inside of himself. He is constantly consuming but is never able to satisfy his void.

What Does He Need?

Christians often try to address man's felt need for happiness and offer God as the solution to man's emptiness. Happiness is not man's true need though, salvation is.  Peace and joy are legitimate outcomes of salvation; however, Christians will have trials, tribulations, and persecution in this life. It's true that God fills the longing soul, but that is not why we need Him. We need him because we are sinners. We are separated from God because of our sin. We need a right standing with God. Man's greatest need is holiness not happiness! We are all going to die and face God on judgement day. It will not  matter how happy you were in your lifetime. All that will matter on judgement day is if you have been made righteous by the blood of Christ.

Why Should We Share the Gospel?

Sinners can be happy in their sin. They can find gratification from sinning. Eve was not forced to eat the forbidden fruit but did so for her own momentary pleasure. Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat the fruit because it would cause death and separation from God. It was not because it would be unpleasant and they wouldn't be happy. Man does not need God in order to be happy. Man needs God in order to be holy! We need to share the gospel with people because they have sinned and are unrighteous in God's sight. They are headed for hell and their only escape is Jesus Christ. This should be the reason we give a sinner for why they need salvation. The issue is not happiness but holiness and righteousness. It is not this moment but eternity. It is not their life but their death. We must share the gospel! (Originally posted on 1/7/13)

The Power of The Word of God

The Word of God
"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11

Do Not be Discouraged!
If you have been trying to share the gospel with others but have not seen them place their faith in Christ, Satan wants to discourage you. He wants you to feel like a failure, but if you are sharing the word of God, God will accomplish His will through it. You are not responsible for whether or not others repent and trust Christ. You do not need to convince them to become a Christian. All you have to do is proclaim what God has said and done. 

Beware of Worldly Wisdom!
If you are relying on your own words and man's arguments when you share the gospel, that may be your problem. However, If you are speaking God's words, you can be sure that God will accomplish His purposes through it. 

We can learn form the apostle Paul's example who said in 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.'  Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 

When sharing the gospel, we don't need to debate or try to present worldly wisdom, but we need to present the wisdom of God and the word of God.

Enough!
God's word is sufficient for everything. It is sufficient for us to preach when sharing the gospel. Am I saying dump apologetics? No, but we must rely on the word of God not the wisdom of men. God's word must be our primary source for witnessing. Scripture is sufficient.

Powerful and Reliable
Scripture says that the word of God is living and active. Think about what God's words have accomplished in the past. He spoke everything that was created into existence. It was at His command that dead men were raised! Can we not rely on His word to create new hearts in men and to raise them up from their bodies of sin and death? God's words always accomplishes the purpose for which He sent them. We can depend on them because we can depend on God. Romans 1:16 says,"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the Power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew fist and also to the Greek." The gospel is the power of God for salvation not our words and our wisdom. We do not need skilled speech or an apologetics degree to share the gospel. God's word is enough!

Where is Your Confidence?
It was when Adam and Eve doubted the word of God that the first sin was committed. Satan does not want us to trust in the word of God. He has been trying to make man doubt it from the beginning. I believe that when Christians put their confidence in the word of God and proclaim it though, that God will accomplish His will through it, and we will see a great revival among the hearts of men.

Life--Something I'm Passionate About

Passion and Compassion

I have just finished Jessica Shaver's book Gianna Aborted... and Lived to Tell About It on the life of Gianna Jessen. As I read the book, it sparked a passion and compassion in me. I appreciated that it told the mother's story. It really gave me compassion for Gianna's biological mother, Tina. The book also put a face on the babies that are aborted daily by giving me someone to identify with. As I read about the life of Gianna, I was struck with the fact that her life was almost ended before her story was ever told. She personalized the "blobs of tissue" for me. The book also exposed how her mother had been lied to and was repentant when her baby was born alive. Tina realized what she did was wrong and was truly sorry. I feel deep compassion for women like Tina. I feel deep compassion for anyone who has had an abortion.

Personalized

As I read the book though, I realized that although I already believed in life from conception, it had not really registered in my mind fully. Aborted babies were not personal to me. In a way, I thought of these babies as someone never given a chance to live out their story. What I failed to realize though, was the fact that these babies' stories had already begun. I was against abortion, but I had a misunderstanding. I thought  the babies were alive, but I contradicted myself in thinking they had not been given a chance to live. Life in the womb is still life. It is still a story. It is how everyone's story began.

What Would You Do?

As I sat pondering all of this, I asked myself, "If these are living children, what would I do in any other situation where children were being murdered? If I knew innocent children where being slaughtered legally and that somebody was making a living off of it, I would do something!" What would you do if you knew that children were being murdered in a particular building nearby?  Babies in the womb are alive even though we cannot see them. Abortion is no different. It is the American Holocaust. We must pray, speak, and act!

Something Worth Fighting For

Unborn babies' lives are worth fighting for, but how much more is the life of people's souls! People need the gospel. My life goal is not to end abortion. That will be ended when God comes back. I will give my life for the sake of Christ. If I give my life to any other name or cause, I have only been successful in making an idol. True success was accomplished when Christ triumphed over death on the cross. My life goal is to glorify God and to spread the gospel. There is no greater name nor cause! If you want to live your life well, give it up for the only One who is worthy!

Two Victims

We should stand up for these babies, but never forget we must speak truth to their mothers too! The baby is not the only victim. The mothers are victims to lies! As scripture says " the truth will set you free". These women need to hear the truth.

Concluding Thoughts

I'd like to end with these verses: "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate.

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

                              Life is precious, no matter how small!

Freedom of Speech

In America we have laws that were set up to give us freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Other countries are not this way, and our country may not always have the same laws. Even I wonder how long it will be legal to openly speak about my beliefs, but what I'd like to remind you is that if you are a Christian, you are always free to speak the truth and the gospel. We are not free to speak things that would dishonor God, but we have freedom to obey God and honor him in every aspect of our lives. Remember that the apostles were often told to stop proclaiming the gospel, but they continued to do so. We must obey God rather than men. We do have to love and honor all men, but our highest authority is God. We must obey him first and other authorities second. Click Here for more thoughts on submission to government leaders.

Suprise! Surprise!

The news
   It was a casual Wednesday. I'd finished my studies, and I was at war once again with the tangles in my hair. Then Mommy called my name, so I came. She had a very interesting look on her face. Her smile and laugh portrayed that she had an enigmatic surprise. Perplexed, I asked "What is it?" She just kept laughing instead of replying. My suspense had heightened at this point, but I would never have even begun to speculate what  she was about to inform me of. Our dear friends, the Williams, had invited me to go to Kentucky with them to the Creation Science Museum!

   I'd been hoping to go to the museum ever since I'd heard of it. Upon receiving this announcement, I was thrilled! The decision to take this trip was very spontaneous! The Williams said they'd be arriving to pick  me up in about two hours, so I hastily packed for our five day trip.

Our First Stop
  On our way, we stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park and toured the cave. Of course we did not see all of it considering the fact that it spans hundreds of miles. We toured for two hours and still only saw a small fraction of the cave. Without our guide and without the lights in the cave we would be lost. For a few moments our guide turned off all the lights in the cave so that we could see just how dark it really was inside the cave. There was no light at all! It would be impossible to find your way around in the cave without lights. There were deep  pits and tiny passage ways. In many places crouching was necessary and in some places there were enormous rooms such as the Rotunda. God's word must be our guide and our light in this life. God's splendor was displayed in intricacies of the design of mammoth cave!

Memory Making
   Sleeping arrangements were quite comical. Anna Clair, Sarah Grace, and I all shared a queen sized bed one night. We decided to sleep horizontally on the bed so we'd have more room; our feet, however, hung off. I slept well every night because I was really tired, and we all enjoyed being together.

The Ride
   The car ride was pleasant and I enjoyed it! We watched videos on worldview, apologetics, and history. We had great conversations about politics, history, and religion. I learned a lot from their family just by traveling with them. It was in the car that we ate salt and vinegar flavored crickets, and I watched in disbelief as Anna Clair ate her lollipop with a real scorpion in it. We got lost a few times in Cincinnati, which was an adventure too.  I was glad that I wasn't responsible for getting us to the destination; I was just in for the ride. God should be in control of our lives. He never gets lost, but sometimes he takes our lives on a different course than we'd planned. This can be difficult if we're still trying to "drive"; there can be only one driver though. We just have to trust him and submit to his plans.

An Unexpected Visitor
One evening as we were eating our dinner, a man pulled up a chair and asked us about our modesty. We explained that we are Christians, and as Christians we value modesty, want to glorify God by the way we dress, and don't want to cause others to stumble. The way we dress sends others a message. In the same way that a Muslim  can easily be identified by his or her attire.

Leaving Bread Crumbs
We stayed in several hotels. Before we left, if I had time, I would gather all the towels, and remove the bedding and place it on the bed to make it easier for the maids to clean our room. I also left a tract for them. I wanted it to be obvious that a Christian had stayed. Leaving little acts of kindness is like leaving bread crumbs that lead the way to sharing the gospel.

The Museum
I greatly enjoyed the museum! It was very faith strengthening! There was so much to see and do! It dealt with a lot of the popular oppositions to the Christian faith, and "evidences" for evolution. I could have spent hours just looking at the books and resources in the gift shop! I would highly recommend this museum  to all people of all backgrounds. It simply lays out the evidence for God in creation, and shows why we can depend on God's word.

The Aquarium
We also visited the Newport Aquarium! It was amazing to see God's fingerprint and master craftsmanship in his creation that he made to inhabit the water! The creatures were so vibrant, elegant,  and intricate! I knew also that  I was only seeing a small fraction of his creation, and I was blown away! I enjoyed seeing yet another part of God's creation!

My Overall Thoughts
I was very grateful to the  Williams family for inviting me to join them. At each stop, I was able to observe, explore, and enjoy God's glorious creation, but how much more glorious is the Creator! I have rich memories and my faith was enriched! I know that everything God has planned for me is to conform me to his image. This was one of the more exciting and pleasant things that he used! God does use unpleasant things too. He is working all things together for the good of those who love God. I'm just excited to see what He is going to do next on this journey of becoming more like Christ.