In ministry we put a lot of emphasis on people's comfort. We pour millions of dollars into housing, clothing and the feeding of people. We do this because Jesus told us to do it. But we seem to put more emphasis on this than we do on the ministry of greater importance. In fact, we even put a greater emphasis on the healing ministry than we do on the more important ministry.
Jesus came to preach the Good News. That is what he desired to do and he spent a lot of time doing it. Mark records one morning in the life of Jesus that most of us seem to overlook. Jesus had spent the evening before healing people. Here he is God, walking around in the filthy result of sin, which is disease and deformity. They exist because of a fallen creation where everything is twisted and warped from the original by man's sin nature. How could Jesus not be moved by compassion and it is from compassion that he responded with healing. But it was not why he came.
Mark says that Jesus got up early that morning and went off to pray in a solitary place. Peter and the others tracked him down because the crowd had begun to form again. They told Jesus that everyone was looking for him. Who could blame them. Here was a man who could deliver them from their misery. But Jesus did not want to be side tracked from his original mission:
“Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” (Mark 1:38)
Jesus makes a clear distinction here between his purpose and his ministry of compassion. So we read:
And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. (v. 39)
Why the casting out of demons? This went hand in hand with preaching the good news. How could anyone receive the good news if he was oppressed or possessed by demons. Jesus wanted people free to make a decision based on what he was telling them. If it was a real danger for Jesus to be side tracked by compassion, how much more so for us?
If we look at the history of the compassionate ministries around the world we will see at the roots of their beginnings a real desire to assist people out of the love of Jesus with a longing to see them discover the truth of Jesus. But over time these "charities" and churches became side tracked by their compassion and what started out as faith and love for God devolved into a humanitarian organization with the real solution for mankind's suffering being lost.
It is true that Jesus healed and served out of compassion but he never lost sight of or became side tracked from his true purpose. Jesus came so that whoever believes in him will be saved. He cast out demons so they would be free to believe. This must always remain the center mission of everything we do, even when we respond to human suffering with the compassion of Jesus Christ. If not, we are not being of any help to anyone. What matters is not the comfort of people in this place as much as their eternal destination. Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Showing posts with label good news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good news. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
People Don't Want To Listen About Jesus
Have you noticed it is harder for people to accept Jesus Christ these days? You can present them with the truth of their condition, share your testimony and even share parts of the gospel to them, but they persist in their disbelief. You are doing all you can but nothing seems to be happening. Well, glory to Yahweh, you are at least planting a seed that the Holy Spirit will continue to work on. But why is it getting harder to share the good news of Jesus?
I believe I found a hint during my recent read-through of Exodus. Moses had already presented himself to Pharaoh and listed the demands of the LORD. In turn Pharaoh rejected the demands and ordered that hard labour of the Hebrew slaves to be increased by removing the provision of the straw for the making of bricks. Pharaoh knew what he was doing. By making them suffer because of Moses the people would turn on Moses.
Moses spoke to the people with the great news from the LORD, that he was rescuing them from their oppressors, taking them to a new land "flowing with milk and honey", and was claiming them as his children. This should have been absolutely fantastic news to them. In fact, they had never known the name of their God and here he revealed it as Yahweh, translated in our Bibles as "the LORD". This was an indication of the intimacy into which he wanted to bring them. But the people didn't want to listen. Life was hard enough. They could not lift their eyes beyond what they knew:
So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage. (Exodus 6:9)
Circumstances are a bit different today but it comes down to the same thing. People are lost in their "anguish of spirit" and their "cruel bondage". We know that bondage today to be the bondage of sin and how it keeps their spirit from the one who created them. I find it interesting that Jesus came with the same good news that Yahweh gave to Moses:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
Jesus read these words of Isaiah as he proclaimed the beginning of his mission. He brought to us the good news. He came to proclaim freedom for the prisoner, sight for the blind, freedom from oppression and to announce the LORD's favor. We, like Moses, take these words to a people who are in "anguish of spirit" and lost in "cruel bondage", only they don't even realize it, just as the people around Jesus did not know.
How did Yahweh get through to the people? With a demonstration of his mighty power. He gave them signs and wonders to encourage them in their belief. How did Jesus wake the people up? With signs and wonders, a demonstration of his might, both to heal the body and the soul. How did Paul present the message of Jesus? By a demonstration of power:
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)
What the captives of our age need are messengers who are not afraid to allow the LORD to work through us however he sees fit. Sometimes our testimony is enough to open a person's heart to the freedom of Jesus but other times that heart is so hard it takes a "demonstration of the Spirit's power". Don't be afraid to offer yourself fully to Jesus, to be used by him however he needs you, even if it is to work miracles. This generation is desperate for the Good News because they can't see beyond what they know.
I believe I found a hint during my recent read-through of Exodus. Moses had already presented himself to Pharaoh and listed the demands of the LORD. In turn Pharaoh rejected the demands and ordered that hard labour of the Hebrew slaves to be increased by removing the provision of the straw for the making of bricks. Pharaoh knew what he was doing. By making them suffer because of Moses the people would turn on Moses.
Moses spoke to the people with the great news from the LORD, that he was rescuing them from their oppressors, taking them to a new land "flowing with milk and honey", and was claiming them as his children. This should have been absolutely fantastic news to them. In fact, they had never known the name of their God and here he revealed it as Yahweh, translated in our Bibles as "the LORD". This was an indication of the intimacy into which he wanted to bring them. But the people didn't want to listen. Life was hard enough. They could not lift their eyes beyond what they knew:
So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage. (Exodus 6:9)
Circumstances are a bit different today but it comes down to the same thing. People are lost in their "anguish of spirit" and their "cruel bondage". We know that bondage today to be the bondage of sin and how it keeps their spirit from the one who created them. I find it interesting that Jesus came with the same good news that Yahweh gave to Moses:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
Jesus read these words of Isaiah as he proclaimed the beginning of his mission. He brought to us the good news. He came to proclaim freedom for the prisoner, sight for the blind, freedom from oppression and to announce the LORD's favor. We, like Moses, take these words to a people who are in "anguish of spirit" and lost in "cruel bondage", only they don't even realize it, just as the people around Jesus did not know.
How did Yahweh get through to the people? With a demonstration of his mighty power. He gave them signs and wonders to encourage them in their belief. How did Jesus wake the people up? With signs and wonders, a demonstration of his might, both to heal the body and the soul. How did Paul present the message of Jesus? By a demonstration of power:
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)
What the captives of our age need are messengers who are not afraid to allow the LORD to work through us however he sees fit. Sometimes our testimony is enough to open a person's heart to the freedom of Jesus but other times that heart is so hard it takes a "demonstration of the Spirit's power". Don't be afraid to offer yourself fully to Jesus, to be used by him however he needs you, even if it is to work miracles. This generation is desperate for the Good News because they can't see beyond what they know.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
After The Barriers Are Gone
It is incredible the number of barriers we put between us and people as well as between us and God. I am thankful that our Father does not respect our barriers and works through them to reach us. We will never be able to use the excuse that God did not try enough to rescue us from our own doom. He reaches through our barriers and presents us with a choice but the decision will always be ours. He offers everyone, despite barriers, sins, opinions, the same choice.
Over the last few days we have examined Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well, a woman he sought out to present her with a choice. She presented him with four barriers to keep him at a distance:
- social barrier
- exclusive barrier
- sin barrier
- religious barrier
Jesus faced and overcame each of these, showing us how it ought to be done be showing how God does it in us. And after he went through each of the barriers and the woman was presented with the full truth, with everything else stripped away, things changed:
The woman was so convinced of it that she told her whole town and they came out en mass to see for themselves. God will always break through our barriers but the incredible only happens when we decide to accept what he is offering.
There are people all around us with barriers and we try to get through while maintaining our own barriers. Jesus approached this woman in openness. He was transparent. He assailed each barrier presented and he gave her the truth. It was then up to her what to do with that truth. We have to make sure we are not approaching people with our own agenda and with our barriers still intact.
It is an easy thing to do, approach people with our own agenda. The true work of the Spirit is not going to happen unless we have allowed God to remove our barriers and we are standing in his truth. It is when we allow the Spirit to direct, to give us the words, the knowledge and when we trust he is using us that we are able to see God's power at work in the lives of those hidden behind barriers.
We have to get rid of all our methodology, agendas, schemes, systems and just deal in the raw honesty of the Holy Spirit. We don't need training in evangelism, we need training in the Spirit. People don't want our opinion, they need the Word of God. People don't need to see my success in this world, they need to see Jesus succeed in me. We need to understand the Word when it says that our strength is not found in ourselves or in the tools of this world but in God himself. In Jesus we can be the overcomers of all barriers, of all things, as Jesus proclaimed we are.
No more barriers as we live by the Spirit.
Over the last few days we have examined Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well, a woman he sought out to present her with a choice. She presented him with four barriers to keep him at a distance:
- social barrier
- exclusive barrier
- sin barrier
- religious barrier
Jesus faced and overcame each of these, showing us how it ought to be done be showing how God does it in us. And after he went through each of the barriers and the woman was presented with the full truth, with everything else stripped away, things changed:
The woman said, “I know that the Messiah will come. He is the one we call Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
“I am that one,” Jesus told her, “and I am speaking to you now.” (John 4:25-26) The woman was so convinced of it that she told her whole town and they came out en mass to see for themselves. God will always break through our barriers but the incredible only happens when we decide to accept what he is offering.
There are people all around us with barriers and we try to get through while maintaining our own barriers. Jesus approached this woman in openness. He was transparent. He assailed each barrier presented and he gave her the truth. It was then up to her what to do with that truth. We have to make sure we are not approaching people with our own agenda and with our barriers still intact.
It is an easy thing to do, approach people with our own agenda. The true work of the Spirit is not going to happen unless we have allowed God to remove our barriers and we are standing in his truth. It is when we allow the Spirit to direct, to give us the words, the knowledge and when we trust he is using us that we are able to see God's power at work in the lives of those hidden behind barriers.
We have to get rid of all our methodology, agendas, schemes, systems and just deal in the raw honesty of the Holy Spirit. We don't need training in evangelism, we need training in the Spirit. People don't want our opinion, they need the Word of God. People don't need to see my success in this world, they need to see Jesus succeed in me. We need to understand the Word when it says that our strength is not found in ourselves or in the tools of this world but in God himself. In Jesus we can be the overcomers of all barriers, of all things, as Jesus proclaimed we are.
No more barriers as we live by the Spirit.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Everyone Needs Jesus
Christian values are quickly being replaced by immoral values in our society. More than ever before the western society and culture is turning it's back on Jesus and choosing man's wisdom. The lost are not more lost as a result, it's just now the pretending is over and the great divide is more evident. The real danger is what this wide spread acceptance of immorality is doing to our children. It almost seems like an entire generation has been lost to Jesus. I said seems.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the heart of mankind has not changed all that much. Many sins that were hidden are being brought out into the light. What was done in secret is now done on the street corner. Now it is easier to address and should stop Christians from thinking that there isn't much work to do. Instead of feeling despair we should be rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. There is a world going to hell and we know someone wanting to save them.
Do you re-call Jesus with the woman at the well? She was a person completely lost in sin, who was pleased with herself and saw no need to change. Different from many people, she did not go looking for Jesus; he went looking for her. I think there is no story more fitting for us with our society than this encounter.
Jesus was faced with many barriers in dealing with this woman, yet he overcame all of them. He was there to convey the good news to this woman as we are here to convey it to our society and we too have barriers to overcome, according to God's grace and power. Over the next few days I will be looking at the 4 barriers Jesus overcame.
First, there was the social barrier:
"You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (John 4:9)
Jesus had the barrier of acceptable social practices at that time. First, he was a Jew and Jews did not speak to Samaritans, because of tradition. Also he was a man alone and she was a woman alone. They should not be speaking to each other. Jesus made it clear that a relationship with God transcends all social barriers:
"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (John 4:10)
I think sometimes we forget that the good news we have to share is far greater than anything else on this planet. Everyone needs to hear it. We can't allow a thing like social barriers to block us. Often these barriers are in our own thinking and attitude. We have to lose that with the reality of a Kingdom perspective.
For us, the sin of a person does not matter, the culture does not matter, either do language or skin colour; the fact that sin separates them from God is all that matters. We can not be frightened by someone's culture, language or traditions. We don't stand on ceremony or traditions. We have one simple task to do and that is share the good news.
Jesus does not care what our culture is, our skin colour, language, position in life. He doesn't care if we are a stay at home mom or a big business tycoon. All he cares is that we are enslaved to our sin and he wants us to be rescued. He came so that we could be freed from sin so how can we allow social barriers to keep us from those whom he loves. Nothing stopped Jesus from reaching out as there should be nothing stopping us. With the boldness of his love we must push through into their world so we can tell them about Jesus. Rich, poor, male, female, adult, child, whatever sin, language, culture, everyone needs Jesus.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Absolute Truth Exists, It Is Not A Fairy Tale
Whatever you want to do and whatever you want to think, you can find an app for that. You can find anything you want on the Internet, to back up anything you want to believe. So many of us think that the Internet is a great source for trusted knowledge on all sorts of things, but it isn't. It is a great source of opinions, thoughts and ideas, but it doesn't mean that any of it is true.
As Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked the rhetorical question, "What is truth?" Pilate had experienced many different cultures and knew well the inner workings of his own government. He was a man who had become cynical of all things so it was difficult for him to see Truth even though he stood right in front of him. It is the same way for many of us who have become overwhelmed by the choices of opinion that are available to us every day. The thing is, there are not many choices but an actual absolute truth that exists.
Absolute truth flies in the face of what our society has decided to embrace. There is no right or wrong any more. We adjust to accommodate every form of belief and practice and we are getting to the point of outlawing the ability to speak against certain beliefs. It is no longer a matter of tolerance; we now have to actually agree. Careful Christians, the last days are upon us.
In instructing Timothy to stay faithful to the correct teaching from the Word, Paul warned him:
The time is coming when people won’t listen to good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling them only what they are itching to hear. They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Welcome to the end. These days are upon us. They have been for a long time but now we live in an age when technology is speeding up the process. People can easily access what their itchy ears want to hear. People can believe what they want, they have that freedom, but it doesn't change the truth. Let me remind you, we are speaking of the Church here and not the world. It is beginning in the Church that to present the truth is going to cost the presenter. Paul charged Timothy:
But you must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well. (v. 5)
To present the truth in our world today is going to cost more than at any other time. Truths of God's Word are on the verge of being outlawed. You can speak anything else you want but don't present the truth. When you do, watch the barrage of attacks you get because it is no longer enough to tolerate, you must actually agree with sin (not that we were ever permitted to tolerate it). But Paul said we must be willing to suffer to bring the truth. It is hard work and not an easy thing but we have the responsibility to teach it and live it.
Are you willing to lose it all, even your life, to bring the good news to those who are condemned by choice?
As Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked the rhetorical question, "What is truth?" Pilate had experienced many different cultures and knew well the inner workings of his own government. He was a man who had become cynical of all things so it was difficult for him to see Truth even though he stood right in front of him. It is the same way for many of us who have become overwhelmed by the choices of opinion that are available to us every day. The thing is, there are not many choices but an actual absolute truth that exists.
Absolute truth flies in the face of what our society has decided to embrace. There is no right or wrong any more. We adjust to accommodate every form of belief and practice and we are getting to the point of outlawing the ability to speak against certain beliefs. It is no longer a matter of tolerance; we now have to actually agree. Careful Christians, the last days are upon us.
In instructing Timothy to stay faithful to the correct teaching from the Word, Paul warned him:
The time is coming when people won’t listen to good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling them only what they are itching to hear. They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Welcome to the end. These days are upon us. They have been for a long time but now we live in an age when technology is speeding up the process. People can easily access what their itchy ears want to hear. People can believe what they want, they have that freedom, but it doesn't change the truth. Let me remind you, we are speaking of the Church here and not the world. It is beginning in the Church that to present the truth is going to cost the presenter. Paul charged Timothy:
But you must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well. (v. 5)
To present the truth in our world today is going to cost more than at any other time. Truths of God's Word are on the verge of being outlawed. You can speak anything else you want but don't present the truth. When you do, watch the barrage of attacks you get because it is no longer enough to tolerate, you must actually agree with sin (not that we were ever permitted to tolerate it). But Paul said we must be willing to suffer to bring the truth. It is hard work and not an easy thing but we have the responsibility to teach it and live it.
Are you willing to lose it all, even your life, to bring the good news to those who are condemned by choice?
Sunday, February 10, 2013
How Can We Be Ashamed?
Stop trying to fit in because we don't. Stop trying to be accepted because we aren't. Stop trying to water down Jesus because you will lose everything if you do. We are definitely getting something wrong in this age in which we live and testify. One thing is when we try to make Christianity attractive and popular. Oh how we wish that the world would run after the righteousness of God but it is lost in its rebellion and self-centered perspective. So when we present Jesus in his great power and love, people rise up against him because he threatens that perspective.
We are different and we were designed to be different. In this world we stand out from the crowd because of Jesus in us. Because we follow him, obey him, run after him, walk in his steps, and are empowered to live as he lived, we look, act, speak, respond, think, see, love differently than the crowd without Jesus. It is the reason you stand out in your school, work place, perhaps even your home.
When we lower the Church or ourselves so that we are more attractive to the world it means we are being less of Jesus. When we try to attract the world with similar activities, music, movies, speeches, teachings, we are not serving Jesus but ourselves. When you join in bad mouthing someone to fit in, when you turn your eyes away from the cheating, when you laugh at that terrible joke, we are setting Jesus aside to fit in with our environment. That is not why Jesus left us here. He is not concerned about you fitting in and being accepted; he is concerned about those who are lost without him. You represent him here.
Look at what Paul wrote to Timothy:
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, who has saved us and called us to a holy life. (2 Timothy 1:8-9)
The "so" follows Paul reminding Timothy he was not given the spirit of timidity but of power. We have been given the power, strength and desire to live a life to the glory of Jesus in this place. And yes, it will cause suffering. You will suffer for being different. You might not have all the friends you potentially could have. You might be picked on because you stand out. People may talk about you behind your back. You might get bullied and picked on. You might get beat up. This is what it is to follow Jesus, the one who was ridiculed, rejected and crucified.
Don't be ashamed to testify about Jesus, it is why you are here. If that is your purpose and you fail to live it, you may be filled with sorrow on Jesus' return instead of joy. Paul actually invited Timothy to join him in suffering for the gospel. We have a message to share to a world that is lost in its selfishness and sin. It is great news that will save anyone who accepts. It is for the "whoever believes". It is all we should be thinking about every day: bringing the good news to our part of the world. By the power of God you will be preserved and empowered to complete the task he has given you, no matter the cost. Trust him and be willing to lay your life down in service to the King. That day is quickly approaching. Will you be willing to die as so many others before us have, in presenting Jesus to those who desperately need him?
Don't be ashamed. Stand out. Be willing to be different. Allow the world to see Jesus through you even if it hates you for it. Shine today my friend. Shine for Jesus' glory and the salvation of your part of the world.
We are different and we were designed to be different. In this world we stand out from the crowd because of Jesus in us. Because we follow him, obey him, run after him, walk in his steps, and are empowered to live as he lived, we look, act, speak, respond, think, see, love differently than the crowd without Jesus. It is the reason you stand out in your school, work place, perhaps even your home.
When we lower the Church or ourselves so that we are more attractive to the world it means we are being less of Jesus. When we try to attract the world with similar activities, music, movies, speeches, teachings, we are not serving Jesus but ourselves. When you join in bad mouthing someone to fit in, when you turn your eyes away from the cheating, when you laugh at that terrible joke, we are setting Jesus aside to fit in with our environment. That is not why Jesus left us here. He is not concerned about you fitting in and being accepted; he is concerned about those who are lost without him. You represent him here.
Look at what Paul wrote to Timothy:
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, who has saved us and called us to a holy life. (2 Timothy 1:8-9)
The "so" follows Paul reminding Timothy he was not given the spirit of timidity but of power. We have been given the power, strength and desire to live a life to the glory of Jesus in this place. And yes, it will cause suffering. You will suffer for being different. You might not have all the friends you potentially could have. You might be picked on because you stand out. People may talk about you behind your back. You might get bullied and picked on. You might get beat up. This is what it is to follow Jesus, the one who was ridiculed, rejected and crucified.
Don't be ashamed to testify about Jesus, it is why you are here. If that is your purpose and you fail to live it, you may be filled with sorrow on Jesus' return instead of joy. Paul actually invited Timothy to join him in suffering for the gospel. We have a message to share to a world that is lost in its selfishness and sin. It is great news that will save anyone who accepts. It is for the "whoever believes". It is all we should be thinking about every day: bringing the good news to our part of the world. By the power of God you will be preserved and empowered to complete the task he has given you, no matter the cost. Trust him and be willing to lay your life down in service to the King. That day is quickly approaching. Will you be willing to die as so many others before us have, in presenting Jesus to those who desperately need him?
Don't be ashamed. Stand out. Be willing to be different. Allow the world to see Jesus through you even if it hates you for it. Shine today my friend. Shine for Jesus' glory and the salvation of your part of the world.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Christmas: A Close Encounter Of The Jesus Kind (revisited)
Have you ever been out in the countryside at night, away from the city lights? I used to live out in the country where, when you step outside at night, you disappear into the dark. The only light was from the stars and when you looked up at them it was like you could see a billion of them all at once. The longer you looked the more you could see. It was quiet, dark and lonely. That's pretty well how I imagined it was for the shepherds on the day of Jesus' birth, when God surprised them.
When I read how the glory of the Lord shone around them at the angel's sudden appearance I can understand why Scriptures say they were terrified. To have the pitch black of night go to the brilliance of the day in a second would be enough to frighten me but then we add to that the appearance of the angel. It was believed that if you saw God you would die because no sin-filled man could ever survive the brilliance of the purity of God. This is why the messengers of God always started with "Do not be afraid". But the message of the angel was more than that:
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8)
Note the part where he says that he was bringing good news of great joy that is for all people. The good news goes beyond the manger scene and takes us to a life lived in the Spirit as an example for us, to a cross and then to an empty grave. We have to tell people the whole story which we are not very good at any more.
We are more into one line zingers; catch phrases that people will remember. "Jesus is the reason for the season" was popular for a while, but why is Jesus the reason for the season? That's the problem with these marketing ideas, there is no substance. We are trying to reach the whole world whereas we should be taking the time to reach a few people with the substance of the good news. We need to take the time with people, one on one, and explain why we celebrate Christmas. When they come to know Jesus they will be so excited about the "good news of great joy" that they in turn will tell people they know. We can't win the world with slogans but we can by making disciples.
Notice that the angels only went to a handful of shepherds. They could have gone to the whole world at once or to the governments at that time, but perhaps God knew that only the shepherds could appreciate what was happening here and respond correctly. They went to verify what the angel told them; he basically told them to when he told them where to find the baby and how to recognize him. After they saw it with their own eyes they had to tell everyone they met:
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:17-18)
Now if the shepherds hadn't verified it with their own eyes they would have only been able to tell people what the angel said. That's what it is like for those who have never encountered Jesus for themselves but instead live off the testimony of those who have. That's what slogans produce. But those who have sought God and seen his face, have encountered Jesus for themselves, know exactly how those shepherds felt. You just can't keep that good news to yourself and you want to share it with everyone you encounter.
Let's throw away the slogans, the signs and the bumper stickers this year and actually share what that good news means to people. Let's share more than the manger scene, more than the fact that Jesus was born. Let's actually explain to people why Jesus was born, what it means for them today and how it impacts our eternity. Let's surprise a few people this season with how much God loves us and what he did for us because of that love. Then indeed it will be "good news of great joy".
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
People Are Waiting To Hear
Since the beginning of time man has always known that there is something greater than himself. We have not always understood what but we knew we were created to worship this greater thing. This is the reason there are so many different religions in so many different cultures. We have not always understood and in many ways most people still don't understand, but we are trying. Unfortunately the enemy is all too willing to step into the Creator's place and receive worship from those who are ignorant.
The Bible tells us that we are without excuse for ignoring God:
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
For those who are willing to look, we can see God's eternal power and divine nature in everything that has ever been created. Even through the effects of the Fall we can still see Jesus' finger prints. Most of us are all chasing after the same thing, friendship with God, it's just some are confused and sidetracked in the looking.
Now, through the Holy Spirit, the Good News of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed to every creature, according to the Word of God:
This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. (Colossians 1:23)
This means when we share this gospel it is not to unfamiliar hearts that we speak. There is something true and attractive that appeals to people as we present Jesus. The Spirit has already planted seeds and prepared hearts, ready to receive the good news. The only thing that stops people from responding is pride, self-determination, rebellion.
Throughout the ages man has sought God's face but our sin nature has distorted that image. We have placed our own character on the gods we created to fill the void of our need to worship. Today, much of the western society is making a god of man. Humanity has become our god, with our intelligence and wisdom guiding the way.However, we can try all we want, we will never be able to fill the void of our need to worship that which is greater than us. Even creation itself cannot fill this void. There is only one who fills that place.
We should be encouraged by this. When we are presenting Jesus it is not to a person who is unprepared and who knows nothing. Everyone is without excuse and every creature has received the proclamation of the gospel. We are only bringing light so that divine revelations is given and they can finally see the face of God. Be encouraged. You are not presenting some religion that fails to answer even the most basic questions. You are presenting the key that unlocks all understanding to the question of our existence and purpose and which brings completeness to our life. You are holding out to that person the fullness of life. If they turn it down it is their choice but be true to what Jesus has told us to do: Share the Good News to all the earth. People are waiting to hear.
The Bible tells us that we are without excuse for ignoring God:
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
For those who are willing to look, we can see God's eternal power and divine nature in everything that has ever been created. Even through the effects of the Fall we can still see Jesus' finger prints. Most of us are all chasing after the same thing, friendship with God, it's just some are confused and sidetracked in the looking.
Now, through the Holy Spirit, the Good News of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed to every creature, according to the Word of God:
This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. (Colossians 1:23)
This means when we share this gospel it is not to unfamiliar hearts that we speak. There is something true and attractive that appeals to people as we present Jesus. The Spirit has already planted seeds and prepared hearts, ready to receive the good news. The only thing that stops people from responding is pride, self-determination, rebellion.
Throughout the ages man has sought God's face but our sin nature has distorted that image. We have placed our own character on the gods we created to fill the void of our need to worship. Today, much of the western society is making a god of man. Humanity has become our god, with our intelligence and wisdom guiding the way.However, we can try all we want, we will never be able to fill the void of our need to worship that which is greater than us. Even creation itself cannot fill this void. There is only one who fills that place.
We should be encouraged by this. When we are presenting Jesus it is not to a person who is unprepared and who knows nothing. Everyone is without excuse and every creature has received the proclamation of the gospel. We are only bringing light so that divine revelations is given and they can finally see the face of God. Be encouraged. You are not presenting some religion that fails to answer even the most basic questions. You are presenting the key that unlocks all understanding to the question of our existence and purpose and which brings completeness to our life. You are holding out to that person the fullness of life. If they turn it down it is their choice but be true to what Jesus has told us to do: Share the Good News to all the earth. People are waiting to hear.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Let's Let Them Know About Jesus!
Given the right circumstance and motivation, we can all be bold. Some of you know that I was always a quiet kid growing up; quiet when adults were around. However, get me with my friends, away from everyone else and I was a wild man. At home with my parents I was a reader, stayed to myself, didn't venture an opinion on anything. With my friends I was an adventurer, building forts in the tree tops, daring to jump bikes over dangerous places, speeding down snow covered hills at break-neck speed. In the right circumstances we are all bold.
Boldness takes a certain level of confidence and trust. When we are with those we trust, those who we know will watch out for us, those who accept us for who we are, those who do not put limits on us, we can be fiercely bold. Imagine how bold we should be in the presence of our Lord and friend. Imagine how we should be all day long as we journey through the day with our Jesus. Imagine the confidence we should have in obedience to our King, who has promised to always be with us and who knows us better than anyone else. Imagine the comfort we feel considering Jesus has seen us at our worst and still covers us, still calls us blameless and innocent and who still desire a deeper relationship with us.
Who cares what anyone else has to say or whatever opinion anyone else has. I am looking for Jesus' approval and I want to do his will. All day long I just want to be in obedience to his desire for me. It's all that matters. It's all that should matter.
Remember though, he has purpose for our living. He has given us a message to give to others. He has done something wonderful for us and has told us to tell others about it. He wants the whole world to know how wonderful and loving he is. He wants them to know there is hope, a way out, a better life, a greater way, someone to love them, someone to set them free. You have that message they need to hear. You are Jesus' testimony.
It's not easy at times because our flesh still tries to hold us back. We hate rejection. We hate standing out in a crowd. We hate being alone, caste out, marginalized. But this is where we need to remember how important Jesus is to us and we need to remember we have been called to this important task and we need to remember the boldness that is ours because of this relationship. Apostle Paul knew it was hard at times but he also knew he had to be bold in the proclamation of the good news:
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20)
Fearlessly? What did Paul have to fear? Death? Rejection? That his flesh would try to set different priorities for him? That he would be worried about the opinions of others? Paul had more enemies than all of us combined and he was facing trial. Paul was about to stand before Caesar and he did not want that fact to cower him into speechlessness, or to react by his flesh. He recognized his weakness and he wanted to be strengthened against it.
Do you love Jesus enough to seek fearlessness in your daily walk, in your speech decision making, and proclamations you make every day? Are you willing to live large according to the Spirit's direction, to be bold in sharing the good news of what Jesus has done for you? There is no time for reserved character or shyness. If Jesus is our confidence then we should be able to talk about him all day long. Don't hide the good news in your secret spiritual closet. Bring it out for the whole world to see and marvel at the greatness, love and grace of our Jesus. If you need prayer for this then we will pray for you. Let's let them know about Jesus!
Boldness takes a certain level of confidence and trust. When we are with those we trust, those who we know will watch out for us, those who accept us for who we are, those who do not put limits on us, we can be fiercely bold. Imagine how bold we should be in the presence of our Lord and friend. Imagine how we should be all day long as we journey through the day with our Jesus. Imagine the confidence we should have in obedience to our King, who has promised to always be with us and who knows us better than anyone else. Imagine the comfort we feel considering Jesus has seen us at our worst and still covers us, still calls us blameless and innocent and who still desire a deeper relationship with us.
Who cares what anyone else has to say or whatever opinion anyone else has. I am looking for Jesus' approval and I want to do his will. All day long I just want to be in obedience to his desire for me. It's all that matters. It's all that should matter.
Remember though, he has purpose for our living. He has given us a message to give to others. He has done something wonderful for us and has told us to tell others about it. He wants the whole world to know how wonderful and loving he is. He wants them to know there is hope, a way out, a better life, a greater way, someone to love them, someone to set them free. You have that message they need to hear. You are Jesus' testimony.
It's not easy at times because our flesh still tries to hold us back. We hate rejection. We hate standing out in a crowd. We hate being alone, caste out, marginalized. But this is where we need to remember how important Jesus is to us and we need to remember we have been called to this important task and we need to remember the boldness that is ours because of this relationship. Apostle Paul knew it was hard at times but he also knew he had to be bold in the proclamation of the good news:
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20)
Fearlessly? What did Paul have to fear? Death? Rejection? That his flesh would try to set different priorities for him? That he would be worried about the opinions of others? Paul had more enemies than all of us combined and he was facing trial. Paul was about to stand before Caesar and he did not want that fact to cower him into speechlessness, or to react by his flesh. He recognized his weakness and he wanted to be strengthened against it.
Do you love Jesus enough to seek fearlessness in your daily walk, in your speech decision making, and proclamations you make every day? Are you willing to live large according to the Spirit's direction, to be bold in sharing the good news of what Jesus has done for you? There is no time for reserved character or shyness. If Jesus is our confidence then we should be able to talk about him all day long. Don't hide the good news in your secret spiritual closet. Bring it out for the whole world to see and marvel at the greatness, love and grace of our Jesus. If you need prayer for this then we will pray for you. Let's let them know about Jesus!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Problem With This World Is ... Me
I have been trying very hard to put a positive spin on the things I have been receiving in the Spirit lately. After all, who wants to read a blog that is going to point out our faults all the time. It's not that the Spirit is mean, just that lately he has been directing me to several things that have been steering us wrong. For example, this is Saturday morning. It would be great to have a nice light subject for a Saturday morning. Something whimsical to read with our morning coffee as we sit in our housecoat and slippers. Instead I get this:
“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.
They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. (Psalm 82:5)
I got this last weekend as well but I skipped over it and wrote around it. Yet, here it is in front of me again this week. It's not that it is negative, as in the Spirit is calling us stupid; it's more pointing out our natural condition that causes us problems with God. The Spirit is not trying to be mean; he is pointing these things out in love because he wants us to live up to our full potential in Jesus. This means that we need to be made aware of things that have to change.
It is true that we have the attitude of 'gods', always wanting to be in control and changing things to suit us. We are always trying to change the environment around us for our own needs. If we are not happy with ourselves, our appearance, what we possess, our current situation, we take it upon ourselves to do something about it. As a race of nations, our many wars are caused by someone rising up as a 'god' and trying to take whatever suits them. Nation fought nation over land, gold, water rights, oil, philosophies, idols and such. Lives have been lost over things 'gods' wanted to possess.
We actually believe that we are the "masters of our own destiny", a thought that comes out of a poem by William Ernest Henley called "Invictus". The last bit of this poem reads:
"It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."
This is the arrogance of man. "I am in charge of me." "No one is going to tell me what to do." We admire this in people and defend their right to such an attitude. It comes from the root of rebellion that we have against God. He gave us the freedom of choice, to choose this rebellious attitude if we want, and we have run with it. What a mess we have made of things. Anyone who thinks our world is better off "captained" by this attitude must truly be completely blind in a pitch black world.
When Jesus walked among us he demonstrated God's heart to us, which is a completely different attitude than our 'god' attitude. Jesus came to give his life, not only in his death (the cross) but in his living as well. He lived a life of a servant, giving himself over to the needs of others. He preached the Good News so people would turn away from destruction. He healed out of compassion. He was never concerned about his own needs, always put others ahead of himself and trusted the Father for everything. Does that describe our lives? I highly doubt it.
Even with the name Christian stamped on us we fail to rise up from the 'god' trap. Occasionally we consider Jesus and turn to him in repentance but to live by the Spirit, totally dependent on the provision and direction of God is often beyond us. It is not difficult to see where we are with this. Just check your attitude toward other people and toward life in general. I don't mean just your actions but your thinking and feeling as well. Jesus told us it is not just our actions that matter but our heart condition in the matter as well. It is just as bad to sin in your heart as it is to sin in action. It is not good enough to say yes, you have to do it as well. Check your attitude with this verse:
We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)
It is not good enough to say you are a follower of Jesus, you have to live it too. I am not talking conformity but transformation. Our hearts have to be transformed supernaturally to be like Jesus, our minds too. We have to allow our 'god' complex to be crucified with the rest of the things of the old rebellion against God and put on the garment which has been provided by Jesus. Our life must be govern by the the love of Christ, a love that always puts the needs of others ahead of our own. Imagine if every Christian would stop living for themselves and start living in submission to the Spirit. Imagine if every Christian stopped defending themselves and started attending to the needs of others. Imagine if every Christian actually laid down their life and started to allow Jesus to live through them. Imagine what a different world we would be living in right now.
We ought to know better. We ought to start listening to the Spirit.
“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.
They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. (Psalm 82:5)
I got this last weekend as well but I skipped over it and wrote around it. Yet, here it is in front of me again this week. It's not that it is negative, as in the Spirit is calling us stupid; it's more pointing out our natural condition that causes us problems with God. The Spirit is not trying to be mean; he is pointing these things out in love because he wants us to live up to our full potential in Jesus. This means that we need to be made aware of things that have to change.
It is true that we have the attitude of 'gods', always wanting to be in control and changing things to suit us. We are always trying to change the environment around us for our own needs. If we are not happy with ourselves, our appearance, what we possess, our current situation, we take it upon ourselves to do something about it. As a race of nations, our many wars are caused by someone rising up as a 'god' and trying to take whatever suits them. Nation fought nation over land, gold, water rights, oil, philosophies, idols and such. Lives have been lost over things 'gods' wanted to possess.
We actually believe that we are the "masters of our own destiny", a thought that comes out of a poem by William Ernest Henley called "Invictus". The last bit of this poem reads:
"It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."
This is the arrogance of man. "I am in charge of me." "No one is going to tell me what to do." We admire this in people and defend their right to such an attitude. It comes from the root of rebellion that we have against God. He gave us the freedom of choice, to choose this rebellious attitude if we want, and we have run with it. What a mess we have made of things. Anyone who thinks our world is better off "captained" by this attitude must truly be completely blind in a pitch black world.
When Jesus walked among us he demonstrated God's heart to us, which is a completely different attitude than our 'god' attitude. Jesus came to give his life, not only in his death (the cross) but in his living as well. He lived a life of a servant, giving himself over to the needs of others. He preached the Good News so people would turn away from destruction. He healed out of compassion. He was never concerned about his own needs, always put others ahead of himself and trusted the Father for everything. Does that describe our lives? I highly doubt it.
Even with the name Christian stamped on us we fail to rise up from the 'god' trap. Occasionally we consider Jesus and turn to him in repentance but to live by the Spirit, totally dependent on the provision and direction of God is often beyond us. It is not difficult to see where we are with this. Just check your attitude toward other people and toward life in general. I don't mean just your actions but your thinking and feeling as well. Jesus told us it is not just our actions that matter but our heart condition in the matter as well. It is just as bad to sin in your heart as it is to sin in action. It is not good enough to say yes, you have to do it as well. Check your attitude with this verse:
We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)
It is not good enough to say you are a follower of Jesus, you have to live it too. I am not talking conformity but transformation. Our hearts have to be transformed supernaturally to be like Jesus, our minds too. We have to allow our 'god' complex to be crucified with the rest of the things of the old rebellion against God and put on the garment which has been provided by Jesus. Our life must be govern by the the love of Christ, a love that always puts the needs of others ahead of our own. Imagine if every Christian would stop living for themselves and start living in submission to the Spirit. Imagine if every Christian stopped defending themselves and started attending to the needs of others. Imagine if every Christian actually laid down their life and started to allow Jesus to live through them. Imagine what a different world we would be living in right now.
We ought to know better. We ought to start listening to the Spirit.
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Simplicity Of Telling Others About Jesus
How difficult do you make it for people to come to the Lord? We take such a simple matter and make it so complicated that there is very little attractive about knowing Jesus Christ. We spend our time telling people how they have to change, what they are doing wrong, giving them a list of do's and don'ts before they have even discovered the incredible news of God's love. Instead of conveying the Good News we spend our time condemning the natural actions of sinners, completely forgetting that the Scriptures tell us:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
While we were still sinners; still! We need to know the Word but we need to understand the simplicity of it for sinners, for the lost, the ones who we have been left here to seek out, to influence for Jesus. Once they have met Jesus and claimed him for their own, the Holy Spirit will begin his work, which they will be glad for, and there will be a transforming instead of a conforming. At the end of his first letter to the Corinthians Paul wanted to make sure that the Corinthians stuck to the gospel. The Word of God is the lamp to our feet, and we need to make sure that we are living and serving according to it:
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
The only way we are going to reach maturity in Christ is within the written Word of God. Those who have not bothered to study and learn the Word chase after all other kinds of ideas, thoughts and teachings. They use human logic to fill in their learning gaps and they make assumptions; assumptions that lead them away from the truth instead of into it. How can we help others discover the Light if we ourselves are still paddling around in the dark? We have to make sure we have taken our stand on the Word of God.
Paul made it clear what we need to accept in order to have salvation. This is all we need to tell those who are lost. We do not need to get into great theology or discussions about their actions, what is acceptable to God and what isn't. All we have to do is present these things as facts, as what we know and the Spirit of God does the rest. Let me give them to you in point form and you can look them up yourself in 1 Corinthians 15. This is the gospel we need to present as mature Christians to those who are without Christ:
- Jesus died for our sins
- he was buried
- he was raised from the dead on the third day
- he appeared to Peter and the other disciples
- he appeared to 500 followers at the same time
- he appeared to others as well
That's it. It's as simple as that. No need for great arguments. If they want to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour that is all they need to start off with. That is the basic gospel. All the other stuff comes after and is called discipleship. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, raised from the dead and appeared to many people who became his witnesses.
Jesus told us not to cast our pearls to the pigs. It is not as mean as it may sound. How can such an animal appreciated the beauty of pearls? How can those without Jesus appreciate the deeper teachings of the Word? How can they appreciate the wisdom of God? How can they appreciate who he is? They can't, not without Jesus, so let's not complicate it. "Jesus loves you and this is how he loves you, he died for you." Make sure they know the whole story, that he was buried but he wasn't left that way because he was raised from the dead and appeared to many people. If people are not ready to accept this then we have nothing else to offer.
Let's keep the preaching for the saved and the witnessing for the unsaved. The Good News is a simple thing so let's keep it simple.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
While we were still sinners; still! We need to know the Word but we need to understand the simplicity of it for sinners, for the lost, the ones who we have been left here to seek out, to influence for Jesus. Once they have met Jesus and claimed him for their own, the Holy Spirit will begin his work, which they will be glad for, and there will be a transforming instead of a conforming. At the end of his first letter to the Corinthians Paul wanted to make sure that the Corinthians stuck to the gospel. The Word of God is the lamp to our feet, and we need to make sure that we are living and serving according to it:
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
The only way we are going to reach maturity in Christ is within the written Word of God. Those who have not bothered to study and learn the Word chase after all other kinds of ideas, thoughts and teachings. They use human logic to fill in their learning gaps and they make assumptions; assumptions that lead them away from the truth instead of into it. How can we help others discover the Light if we ourselves are still paddling around in the dark? We have to make sure we have taken our stand on the Word of God.
Paul made it clear what we need to accept in order to have salvation. This is all we need to tell those who are lost. We do not need to get into great theology or discussions about their actions, what is acceptable to God and what isn't. All we have to do is present these things as facts, as what we know and the Spirit of God does the rest. Let me give them to you in point form and you can look them up yourself in 1 Corinthians 15. This is the gospel we need to present as mature Christians to those who are without Christ:
- Jesus died for our sins
- he was buried
- he was raised from the dead on the third day
- he appeared to Peter and the other disciples
- he appeared to 500 followers at the same time
- he appeared to others as well
That's it. It's as simple as that. No need for great arguments. If they want to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour that is all they need to start off with. That is the basic gospel. All the other stuff comes after and is called discipleship. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, raised from the dead and appeared to many people who became his witnesses.
Jesus told us not to cast our pearls to the pigs. It is not as mean as it may sound. How can such an animal appreciated the beauty of pearls? How can those without Jesus appreciate the deeper teachings of the Word? How can they appreciate the wisdom of God? How can they appreciate who he is? They can't, not without Jesus, so let's not complicate it. "Jesus loves you and this is how he loves you, he died for you." Make sure they know the whole story, that he was buried but he wasn't left that way because he was raised from the dead and appeared to many people. If people are not ready to accept this then we have nothing else to offer.
Let's keep the preaching for the saved and the witnessing for the unsaved. The Good News is a simple thing so let's keep it simple.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Christmas: A Close Encounter Of The Jesus Kind
Have you ever been out in the countryside at night, away from the city lights? I used to live out in the country where, when you step outside at night, you disappear into the dark. The only light was from the stars and when you looked up at them it was like you could see a billion of them all at once. The longer you looked the more you could see. It was quiet, dark and lonely. That's pretty well how I imagined it was for the shepherds on the day of Jesus' birth, when God surprised them.
When I read how the glory of the Lord shone around them at the angel's sudden appearance I can understand why Scriptures say they were terrified. To have the pitch black of night go to the brilliance of the day in a second would be enough to frighten me but then we add to that the appearance of the angel. It was believed that if you saw God you would die because no sin-filled man could ever survive the brilliance of the purity of God. This is why the messengers of God always started with "Do not be afraid". But the message of the angel was more than that:
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8)
Note the part where he says that he was bringing good news of great joy that is for all people. The good news goes beyond the manger scene and takes us to a life lived in the Spirit as an example for us, to a cross and then to an empty grave. We have to tell people the whole story which we are not very good at any more.
We are more into one line zingers; catch phrases that people will remember. "Jesus is the reason for the season" was popular for a while, but why is Jesus the reason for the season? That's the problem with these marketing ideas, there is no substance. We are trying to reach the whole world whereas we should be taking the time to reach a few people with the substance of the good news. We need to take the time with people, one on one, and explain why we celebrate Christmas. When they come to know Jesus they will be so excited about the "good news of great joy" that they in turn will tell people they know. We can't win the world with slogans but we can by making disciples.
Notice that the angels only went to a handful of shepherds. They could have gone to the whole world at once or to the governments at that time, but perhaps God knew that only the shepherds could appreciate what was happening here and respond correctly. They went to verify what the angel told them; he basically told them to when he told them where to find the baby and how to recognize him. After they saw it with their own eyes they had to tell everyone they met:
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:17-18)
Now if the shepherds hadn't verified it with their own eyes they would have only been able to tell people what the angel said. That's what it is like for those who have never encountered Jesus for themselves but instead live off the testimony of those who have. That's what slogans produce. But those who have sought God and seen his face, have encountered Jesus for themselves, know exactly how those shepherds felt. You just can't keep that good news to yourself and you want to share it with everyone you encounter.
Let's throw away the slogans, the signs and the bumper stickers this year and actually share what that good news means to people. Let's share more than the manger scene, more than the fact that Jesus was born. Let's actually explain to people why Jesus was born, what it means for them today and how it impacts our eternity. Let's surprise a few people this season with how much God loves us and what he did for us because of that love. Then indeed it will be "good news of great joy".
When I read how the glory of the Lord shone around them at the angel's sudden appearance I can understand why Scriptures say they were terrified. To have the pitch black of night go to the brilliance of the day in a second would be enough to frighten me but then we add to that the appearance of the angel. It was believed that if you saw God you would die because no sin-filled man could ever survive the brilliance of the purity of God. This is why the messengers of God always started with "Do not be afraid". But the message of the angel was more than that:
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8)
Note the part where he says that he was bringing good news of great joy that is for all people. The good news goes beyond the manger scene and takes us to a life lived in the Spirit as an example for us, to a cross and then to an empty grave. We have to tell people the whole story which we are not very good at any more.
We are more into one line zingers; catch phrases that people will remember. "Jesus is the reason for the season" was popular for a while, but why is Jesus the reason for the season? That's the problem with these marketing ideas, there is no substance. We are trying to reach the whole world whereas we should be taking the time to reach a few people with the substance of the good news. We need to take the time with people, one on one, and explain why we celebrate Christmas. When they come to know Jesus they will be so excited about the "good news of great joy" that they in turn will tell people they know. We can't win the world with slogans but we can by making disciples.
Notice that the angels only went to a handful of shepherds. They could have gone to the whole world at once or to the governments at that time, but perhaps God knew that only the shepherds could appreciate what was happening here and respond correctly. They went to verify what the angel told them; he basically told them to when he told them where to find the baby and how to recognize him. After they saw it with their own eyes they had to tell everyone they met:
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:17-18)
Now if the shepherds hadn't verified it with their own eyes they would have only been able to tell people what the angel said. That's what it is like for those who have never encountered Jesus for themselves but instead live off the testimony of those who have. That's what slogans produce. But those who have sought God and seen his face, have encountered Jesus for themselves, know exactly how those shepherds felt. You just can't keep that good news to yourself and you want to share it with everyone you encounter.
Let's throw away the slogans, the signs and the bumper stickers this year and actually share what that good news means to people. Let's share more than the manger scene, more than the fact that Jesus was born. Let's actually explain to people why Jesus was born, what it means for them today and how it impacts our eternity. Let's surprise a few people this season with how much God loves us and what he did for us because of that love. Then indeed it will be "good news of great joy".
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