Today I had to really check myself and not join in with my friend Amber about "those rich Christians."
Obviously, my friend Amber feels snubbed and discluded from the clique-ee ness she's been sensing...
as in "we's not rich like they uns". I call it the Clampett syndrome. Those Clampetts were always being
worked on by the Drysdales to fit in. It wasn't that they were looked down upon...it's just that "those rich Christians" (er, i mean "Drysdales") were always trying to help them climb the social ladder.
I don't think that there should be any social ladders in Christianity.
What do you think?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
If you are lukewarm
In Revelations, Jesus writes to the Christians and tells them that they have forgotten their first love.
They weren't hot. They weren't cold. They were just coasting. Not sinning, but not on fire. They went to church, read alittle, prayed a little, did a few good works. But they weren't passionate. They were coasting. They were lukewarm.
Sound familiar?
In short, they just tacked Sunday morning Christianity onto their everyday, busy lives.
They had lost their zeal.
So Jesus tells them how to get it back. He says
1)Remember the height from whence you've fallen.
Remember that high you felt back in the good old days when Jesus was everything?
(are you really remmembering right now?)
Take a real moment.
There it is...that sensitivity toward sin...that desire to serve God with all of your heart...that joy in your salvation....that desire to share it.
This leads into number 2
2)Do again the first works.
In marriage counseling, they say to repeat the romantic overtures with your mate that you did as a newly wed, (flowers, candy, praises)
EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL IT.
Repeat often. The feelings will come.
Go ahead. Go tell someone about Jesus. Do it again. And again. Tell at least one person today.
Tell a little old lady. The mailman. A stranger. A relative. A teenager. A preteen. Tell a child. Watch what happens.
Just pick one person every day.
I hope to hear back from you.
They weren't hot. They weren't cold. They were just coasting. Not sinning, but not on fire. They went to church, read alittle, prayed a little, did a few good works. But they weren't passionate. They were coasting. They were lukewarm.
Sound familiar?
In short, they just tacked Sunday morning Christianity onto their everyday, busy lives.
They had lost their zeal.
So Jesus tells them how to get it back. He says
1)Remember the height from whence you've fallen.
Remember that high you felt back in the good old days when Jesus was everything?
(are you really remmembering right now?)
Take a real moment.
There it is...that sensitivity toward sin...that desire to serve God with all of your heart...that joy in your salvation....that desire to share it.
This leads into number 2
2)Do again the first works.
In marriage counseling, they say to repeat the romantic overtures with your mate that you did as a newly wed, (flowers, candy, praises)
EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL IT.
Repeat often. The feelings will come.
Go ahead. Go tell someone about Jesus. Do it again. And again. Tell at least one person today.
Tell a little old lady. The mailman. A stranger. A relative. A teenager. A preteen. Tell a child. Watch what happens.
Just pick one person every day.
I hope to hear back from you.
But I'm not smart enough
Even if you became a Christian yesterday, you know everything that you need to know to lead someone to Jesus.
Just talk about what Jesus has done for you.
Ask the spirit of God to give you specific words to say to each person.
When you feel that nudge, just open your mouth.
You don't have to be elegant, or even super confident.
You could even say,
"I'm not sure how to ask you this, but could I ask you a question"
yes,
"Do you have a relationship with Jesus"
Or, you could start a conversation about anything, and redirect it to Christianity...He will show you how.
Alot of people think that I am never nervous about witnessing. Usually,I'm not. I was picked on everyday of my life in school, and it made me tough. But there are sometimes that I do feel kind of uncomfortable.
Because sometimes, I know exactly what to say, and I have never met the listner.
That's right. With me, there's lots of times that God has me go say a specific word to someone that I've never met.
(gulp.)
Here's how I do it.
"I know that I've never met you before, and I'm not sure how you will take this but there's something that I need to tell you"
Then, I just tell them.
After they pick there jaw up off the floor, and sputter about how the word was right on, they thank me.
One time, I was SUPER nervous, because the dude was in a business suit and i was (shall we say...)casual.
I felt like the Lord was telling me to just be open with him about my comfort level.
Here goes, Lord.
"I know that you don't know me, and you might think that I'm a religious fanatic, but there's something that God told me to tell you, and I am sure it's God."
Believe me, baby, he was all ears.
His eyes misted up, his look softened, and in a low, husky voice, he quietly thanked me.
I love it when God makes a hit.
Don't you feel ripped off?
Don't you want God to use you like that?
Just ask Him to, and be honest about your fears, your lukewarmness, your shyness, maybe your lack of real relationship.
After all, you can't tell others, with passion, how great God is when you hardly talk to him.
Do you know Jesus? If you don't, just ask him to forgive you, and come inside of you to live.
John 6:37 quotes Jesus as saying, "All who the Father gives me will come to me. And whoever comes to me, I will in no way turn away."
Just talk about what Jesus has done for you.
Ask the spirit of God to give you specific words to say to each person.
When you feel that nudge, just open your mouth.
You don't have to be elegant, or even super confident.
You could even say,
"I'm not sure how to ask you this, but could I ask you a question"
yes,
"Do you have a relationship with Jesus"
Or, you could start a conversation about anything, and redirect it to Christianity...He will show you how.
Alot of people think that I am never nervous about witnessing. Usually,I'm not. I was picked on everyday of my life in school, and it made me tough. But there are sometimes that I do feel kind of uncomfortable.
Because sometimes, I know exactly what to say, and I have never met the listner.
That's right. With me, there's lots of times that God has me go say a specific word to someone that I've never met.
(gulp.)
Here's how I do it.
"I know that I've never met you before, and I'm not sure how you will take this but there's something that I need to tell you"
Then, I just tell them.
After they pick there jaw up off the floor, and sputter about how the word was right on, they thank me.
One time, I was SUPER nervous, because the dude was in a business suit and i was (shall we say...)casual.
I felt like the Lord was telling me to just be open with him about my comfort level.
Here goes, Lord.
"I know that you don't know me, and you might think that I'm a religious fanatic, but there's something that God told me to tell you, and I am sure it's God."
Believe me, baby, he was all ears.
His eyes misted up, his look softened, and in a low, husky voice, he quietly thanked me.
I love it when God makes a hit.
Don't you feel ripped off?
Don't you want God to use you like that?
Just ask Him to, and be honest about your fears, your lukewarmness, your shyness, maybe your lack of real relationship.
After all, you can't tell others, with passion, how great God is when you hardly talk to him.
Do you know Jesus? If you don't, just ask him to forgive you, and come inside of you to live.
John 6:37 quotes Jesus as saying, "All who the Father gives me will come to me. And whoever comes to me, I will in no way turn away."
What we really believe.
Do we really believe that if people go into a Christless eternity, that they will miss heaven?
Do we really wonder about our coworkers', friends' and neighbors' eternal destiny?
Have we searched our hearts and asked ourselves, "Is there anyone I know with whom I have never shared the gospel?"
Are we scared to really believe that we are responsible?http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0079/0079_01.asp
Do we really wonder about our coworkers', friends' and neighbors' eternal destiny?
Have we searched our hearts and asked ourselves, "Is there anyone I know with whom I have never shared the gospel?"
Are we scared to really believe that we are responsible?http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0079/0079_01.asp
Why you don't witness
You don't witness because
1. You are afraid. you fear man, not God.
2. you are ashamed of the gospel
3. You tell yourself that if you let your light shine, they will some how understand, through your silent witness, that they need to ask Jesus
Christ to forgive their sins, and be their Lord.
You don't witness because you are
1. Cowardly
2. Ashamed
3. Deceived.
But the main reason that people don't witness, is because they keep waiting for the right timing.
If you have known someone for six months, it is time to make an opening.
The devil's biggest lie is not "never" but "tomorrow"
1. You are afraid. you fear man, not God.
2. you are ashamed of the gospel
3. You tell yourself that if you let your light shine, they will some how understand, through your silent witness, that they need to ask Jesus
Christ to forgive their sins, and be their Lord.
You don't witness because you are
1. Cowardly
2. Ashamed
3. Deceived.
But the main reason that people don't witness, is because they keep waiting for the right timing.
If you have known someone for six months, it is time to make an opening.
The devil's biggest lie is not "never" but "tomorrow"
THE BIG LIE OF THE ENEMY
"There's a right way and a wrong way to Witness"
Oh really? If someones house in on fire, is there a wrong way to warn them?
Oh really? If someones house in on fire, is there a wrong way to warn them?
Friday, September 18, 2009
Is anyone out there smart enough to explain this one to me....
A brand new baby Christian runs out and tells the world all about Jesus. They pester everyone they meet. they are bold, brash, and overbearing. In short, they take the commandment seriously where Jesus tells us to "Go and preach the gospel to every living creature".
If there's a cockroach on the counter, they will lead it in the sinners prayer.
But somewhere, they run into a well meaning "seasoned" Christian who tells them stuff about "timing" "sensitivity" and tact.
They fail to mention that they, themselves, have never led anyone to Jesus.
Because they never knew the meaning of the word compel.
The new Christian, however, understands this word. His love compels him to share.
He is not ashamed of the gospel.
And he has won dozens of people to Jesus.
How many people have you won to Jesus?
If there's a cockroach on the counter, they will lead it in the sinners prayer.
But somewhere, they run into a well meaning "seasoned" Christian who tells them stuff about "timing" "sensitivity" and tact.
They fail to mention that they, themselves, have never led anyone to Jesus.
Because they never knew the meaning of the word compel.
The new Christian, however, understands this word. His love compels him to share.
He is not ashamed of the gospel.
And he has won dozens of people to Jesus.
How many people have you won to Jesus?
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