A Plea for Personal Evangelism

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” – John 4:10

Summer is all about outdoor events. I see the crowds gathering at picnics and parades; I see their faces. They’re real human beings with real souls. They live near you, dear reader. They are your cashiers, waiters, mechanics, and bank tellers. They are linemen, electricians, plumbers, and call center professionals. They are janitors, lawyers, emergency professionals, and nurses. I see their faces and wonder, “Has my flock told you the good news?”

We are commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the good news message of Christ to all people. Jesus in John 4 proclaimed the Kingdom of God to the Samaritan woman, not as a marketed event or shouting to the masses, but personally. Do you evangelize to people personally? Do not simply invite the Samaritan woman to church or be preachy without personal relationships. Are you building relationships with the steadfast love of Christ you now possess? 

You must treasure Christ to talk about Christ to others, because we only talk about what we love. If you evangelize without treasuring Christ, it will feel more like being a marketing professional rather than a delight. I beg you, desire Christ. Make your heart’s treasure be Christ above all else.

When you treasure Christ, be the earthen vessel that carries this Treasure and speaks this Treasure (II Corinthians 4:7)! As a shepherd in Christ’s rule, I beg you with tears: go, serve, love, build relationships with your neighbors with Christ as your foundation. Do not remain silent, feasting at the Lord’s table of mercies while countless souls starve around you without tasting and seeing that the Lord is good! 

Spurgeon once said, “To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in this world. And with every soul you bring to Jesus Christ, you seem to get a new heaven here upon earth.” Let us be found faithful soul winners with great joy proclaiming the glorious good news of great joy that is for all people.

Heavenly Father, we need Your grace and power to still our hearts in peace, dispel our fears, and open our lips to talk to others about Christ our treasure. Prepare the fields, O Lord of the harvest! Prepare Your laborers and send us out. Lord, use my rescued life as Your instrument to Your glory. Amen.

A Guarding Peace

“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:7

I enjoy reading historic letters. When I come across old letters from soldiers to their wives, I am struck how they discuss the challenges of sleeping on the ground outside in the middle of fierce fighting. The theme comes again and again; they find peace in thinking about their wives. 

We read Paul’s letter to the Philippians hearing of the mercy of God’s peace guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We are in fierce combat, but not against flesh and blood; rather, against unseen spiritual forces that plague us with chaos. We are tempted to conform to the world, but defend ourselves by “renewing our mind” with the Bible (Romans 12:2). The Bible grips our minds to think of the excellent, pure, and praiseworthy things of God (Philippians 4:8). With the Bible we wage war in our minds destroying arguments and lofty opinions against these excellent things of God (II Corinthians 10:3-5). We find peace thinking about our Lord.

Our minds need God’s protection. We are reminded of His trustworthy promises. Yet, we need God’s peace in Christ to guard our hearts, as well. Our emotions are like warning flares from a ship at battle. We get angry, sad, afraid, or discouraged because of arguments battling in our minds. We don’t passively let our emotions rule us. We wage war against these arguments with God’s Word. Sad? Rejoice in the Lord (vs 4). Bitter? Be gentle toward others because the Lord is at hand (vs5). Stressed, discouraged, afraid? Pray and request from God with thanksgiving (vs 6). And God’s incomprehensible peace will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Heavenly Father, Your Word is light to our dark paths, sweet honey and the delight of our hearts. We ask for peace in the midst of the battles of this life. Guard Your servants’ minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. Ready our feet to carry Your good news, our hands to serve, and our lips to praise You. Be glorified in us. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Self-Control as Fruit

“The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control” (Galatians 5:22 and 23)

Sitting on my porch swing and enjoying the warm, gentle touch of the springtime sunshine and breeze, I watched as a robin meticulously scanned my front yard for worms poking out of the ground. Suddenly, he stopped and noticed me on the swing. He hopped closer until it seemed he was close enough for comfort. We looked at each other for about five minutes before he tilted his head as if to question, then continued his hunt.

I agree with this robin: we humans are fickle creatures when observed closely. We are peaceful one minute and angry the next. We are simultaneously both friend and foe. Christians who have experienced the joy of new life with a new heart in sweet union with Jesus have died with Him and have risen with Him  to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4-9). Yet, we are still plagued by our “flesh,” sin which still dwells in us and finds temptation attractive (Romans 7:17-20, 25). We already possess purity of eternal life (Hebrews 10:10), but we have not yet been perfected (Philippians3:12).

We are commanded to “strive to enter the narrow door” of the Kingdom (Luke 13:24). So, we have been gifted with the power of the Holy Spirit to control ourselves, and we bear this spiritual fruit to God’s glory. How? “I strive with all His energy that He powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29). We become more Christ-like with Christ’s powerful work being done inside of us. It is His doing. Jesus instructs us His grace to desire Him who is greater than wrong desires settled for on earth (Titus 2:11-12). Like the robin’s scan for worms, we scan our hearts with the Bible and the Spirit for wrong desires.

Jesus instructs us, not as a killjoy, but that our joy may be full (John 15:11). We put those wrong desires to death (Colossians 3:5) by putting on the beauty of Christ-likeness we already possess but strive to obtain when Christ returns and perfects the work He begun (Colossians 3:12).

Holy God in heaven, we thank You for not treating us as our sins deserve. That in Christ alone we enjoy Your boundless grace. Lord, instruct our hearts in Your grace to strive to be like Christ, controlling our desires to enjoy You more than the plagues of our flesh and treasuring Jesus above all that Your joy may be in us and our joy increase daily until that day You complete the work You have begun. In Christ’s Name. Amen.

Getting Young Families in the Local Church

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” –Romans 1:16

Lately, the Lord has placed me into situations not only around Hamilton but across the state of Ohio to discuss the church and disciple-making. Listening to prayer requests from various church leaders, one is nearly universal: please pray that more young families come join our church. I get the sense from these same church leaders that they believe our culture has harder hearts than ever before in history because church marketing, events, and programs from the past are no longer working.

Young people can still be saved. No one is too hard-hearted for the mighty outstretched arm of the Lord whose love endures forever (Psalm 136:12). What if getting young people to attend church services and events is a misunderstanding of Jesus’s Great Commission? These things are not wrong to do, but they make terrible replacements for personal disciple-making.

The gospel of Jesus Christ passionately shared from the lips of a Christian is the power of God to save those who believe. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead can be in your mouth! When you, dear reader, proclaim the gospel, it is like Christ at the tomb of Lazarus calling the dead man to walk. 

You, dear Christian, are commanded to personally proclaim the gospel and personally make disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). No matter your age, you can proclaim the gospel that saves to your neighbor no matter their age, for the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Open your home, your dinner table, your living room, your life to your neighbors, then open your mouth to proclaim His gospel.

You dear Christian reading this, go and make disciples of Jesus to all peoples and teach them the Word without shame or hesitation. For God is good and He is mighty to save.

Heavenly Father, bless Your servants with confidence in Your Son’s gospel and Your power to save. May we be found faithful to proclaim this glorious gospel to everyone. O Lord, save our hearers! Strengthen Your church! We ask for Your power and strength in the authority of Christ’s Name. Amen.

God our Present and Future Help

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” –Revelation 21:4

This verse comes to my mind often, but no more intensely than when I have the great privilege of hospital visits. We live in the time of “former things” which will one day pass away by the authority of Christ who rights all wrongs. 

On my way to see a Jesus follower suffering in a hospital room, I have a tendency to look into other rooms. I see people alone and hear them moan in pain. I am moved by the sea of people suffering without purpose, dying without hope, and lying in bed in loneliness. Current suffering finds no present help in any future relief.

The Christian’s suffering, by God’s grace, is a different experience. Not in the level of pain, but in the level of aim. Paul, who had suffered greatly, said “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (IICorinthians 4:17). We go through the same painful experiences that are common to all people, but we consider them “light” and “momentary” because Jesus will wipe away our tears for the final time when He completes His glorious Kingdom work.

Our encouragement does not begin in the future, but is present now. For our sovereign God also has purpose to our affliction. The heat of the fire purifies us from worldliness while we are still in the world to display to the world the glory of the grace of God. God is kind to us to provide such sweet mercies when we experience the deepest of pains as our present help (Psalm 46:1). What if afflictions’ purpose is to depend upon and desire our God more? This is truly what is best for us and for His glory. 

Even the afflictions that seem to present very little blessing to us now seems light and momentary when our imagination ascends to the joys of glory awaiting us. Our afflictions are light compared to what Christ took for us, and momentary because of the hope He gives us of eternal joys.

Our heavenly Father, give Your children wisdom to see clearly the lessons You teach through trials and a vision of the eternal joys that await us when we are in pain. Remind us daily of Your grace in Christ who took our greatest affliction, receiving the greatest joy of heavenly treasures. We ask for Your mercy in Christ’s precious Name. Amen.