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Sunday, March 29, 2015

Sharing Christ

I heard a praise worthy report from my wife the other day.   My 13 year old daughter used some material from Dare to Share to tell her friend about Christ.   She is open about telling her friends about Jesus,  she invites them to church and to youth group.   It's so amazing to see how she can just share,  it's so natural to her.   I wish I could be more like her in that area.  I am very proud of her.

I have tried to do a few things myself,  like trying to take a little light into the darkness.   I tried to share on a page on Facebook that posts pictures of people who have been arrested.   It was not recieved well,  there is a group that gets on the page to mock the arrested.   They didn't like me praying or being encouraging.   I found that others also encouraged me not to share on that page.   They said it wasn't a good place to share.   That makes me ask the question,  is there places we shouldn't share?

I think about Jesus and the Apostles.   Do you think people told them not to share in some places?   Maybe told Jesus He shouldn't teach around the religious leaders,  cause they were getting mad.   Told Paul not to teach in Ephesus,  they may get angry.   Told him to be quiet before he gets arrested,  beaten,  put on trial,  beheaded?   I was never in danger of any of those things,  I was just called vulgar things and then kicked off the page for a while.

I was thinking about all the other times I could share my faith,  and I don't.   At work,  because it's work time.   I don't share in social situations because that would be awkward.   I don't tell strangers,  because they would feel like I'm attacking them.   These are all excuses,  and not really that good.

Do I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit?   Do  I believe the Gospel has the power to save all those who would believe? Do I believe that the word of God will not return void?   If I believe those things,  then what the heck am I doing? I need to be preaching Jesus,  that He died for sin and rose on the third day and conquered sin and the grave.   There is no reason that I shouldn't share,  whenever and where ever.   In public,  in private,  at work,  even on the Lock Up page.

Where is God calling you to share?

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Why?


I have grown up mostly in the 80s and 90s, and during those time periods, there has been a shift in the way examination and beliefs have processed.  In the baby boomer generation, the question was “what should we do”.  In my generation, Gen X and Gen Y, the question is not so much of how, but why?  Why do we do things, what is the purpose and what is the point?  Are we doing something that is worth while, is this worth our time and effort?  This is a departure from the philosophy of our baby boomer parents, who told us what to do, but the question of why was usually answered with “because I said so”.  This wasn’t enough for us then, and it’s certainly not enough for us today.  In the realm of theology and the exploration of God’s word, the question is not so much of “what” but of “why”?  God is moving, calling us to follow and there are things we should do and should not do, but why?

There are many things about God’s rules and laws that we take for granted, like the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes that tell us how we should behave.  These are clear commandments, and like the Great Commission, we need to follow them, but have we ever stopped to ask why?  Have we stopped to ask why God gives us things to do and things not to do?  I believe that God encourages us and pushes us to ask the question why.  The reason I believe is simple, God calls us to obedience to have a deeper, more intimate and fulfilling relationship with Him.  This is the purpose of the commandments, for the Great Commission, for the wisdom of Paul and Peter, James and John, the writings of the Old and New Testament all exist for this one principle, that we can know and love God more and have a deeper relationship with Him.

The purpose of any theological system should not be to understand what God does, but who God is and what God is doing.  We should not approach God as a distant school master, who exists to keep us in line.  Instead, we should approach God as loving father, who desires a deeper relationship with us.  His desire is that we would live a fulfilling life, filled with love and joy and peace.  We can find these things in our Heavenly Father, regardless of the turmoil of life, the difficult situations and the trials and temptations.  The why to our what is this, that we would find all that we need in our Father.

This should change the way we approach God, the Bible and the rules and commands He gave us.  They are not rules to keep us from life, but guidelines to make sure we have a full and substantial life.  These truths that God gives us will free us from the bonds of sin, from the chains of error and the shackles that so often come with all disobedience.  God will set us free if we will be open to be set free.  God will give us life if we are just willing to live it.  God wants to have a deeper relationship with us, and He longs to reveal more and more of His nature and character.  In this, or any theological exercise, our goal should be to know God, love Him more and share what we have found with others.  My prayer in this is that we will discover the depths of truth in His love and the freedom of His grace, as well as His commands.