Evangelism

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GOD’S WRATH

(John 3:36) Whoever believes in the son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

God is just. So, to think that there won’t be a reckoning for our sins is foolish.  Especially since he sent his Son to provide us with a way to avoid his judgment, and not only to avoid his judgement, but to be completely forgiven of our sins and become his children for all eternity.

Here in this life, we are all subject to the good and bad parts of life.  The difference is that God’s children, though they will die like everyone else, will go on to eternal life with their creator.  Those who reject what Jesus has offered will not see this eternal life, and they will be subject to God’s wrath.

All throughout the Old Testament, we have stories that tell of God’s wrath. For instance, the flood in which all but eight of the people on the earth were drowned, the destruction in Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites leave, and Korah’s rebellion where the earth opened and swallowed up his whole clan (see Numbers chapter 16). Being under the wrath of God is a terrible thing.  This is God’s world, and he has the right to judge his created ones.  Aren’t we glad that he is long-suffering, gracious and full of love for us.

God has provided an easy way for us to avoid his wrath.  All we need to do is to accept the work of his Son who died for our sins.  Then we can begin a restored relationship with our God.  The only difficult part is that we must humbly acknowledge that we have sinned, and that we need forgiveness. We must repent.  If we refuse to acknowledge our need for Jesus, we will have to pay for our sins. The pride of mankind will lead us down a path of destruction. Wisdom says humble yourself and come join the children of God.  I can personally vouch that you will not be sorry.  It is the only logical choice.

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OUR WORTH IN GOD

(1Peter 1:3-5) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.  It is reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I am a common person.  I am not of wide renown, but just one of billions of people who are currently walking the earth.  My distinctions are that I’m a male of considerable age who has led an average life. That is my earthly existence. 

The one distinction I didn’t mention is that I am a Christian, a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ.  I am a child of the living God sealed with his Holy Spirit.  I have been granted eternal life through the redemptive action of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  I have an inheritance from God my Father reserved for me in heaven.  This distinction is not exclusive; it is offered to all who will receive him.

(1 Peter 2:9) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Our worth as the common people of the earth may say we are of little consequence, but in contrast we are of great worth to God. Christians are God’s children, a people of his own, destined to live with him in his eternal kingdom.

Knowing our true worth, let us walk with confidence as we negotiate this new year, and let us proclaim the virtues of the one who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.  

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SHARING THE GOSPEL

(Romans 10:14) How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

I was taught the Bible throughout my childhood.  Sunday school teachers and pastors taught me the Gospel of Jesus Christ and offered me the opportunity to receive salvation.  As a child of the 1950’s, even in public school, I heard the words of the Bible and prayed to God.  I said the sinners pray several times, and I was confirmed in the Lutheran Church. You might say I was well schooled in the Christian faith.

After the Navy, I settled into family life and soon started attending church because it was the right thing to do.  When the pastor asked if I would teach the High School Sunday school class, I said yes.  It wasn’t long until I became the youth director and leader of the high school youth group.

The teaching from pastors and Sunday school teachers of my childhood gave me a firm foundation of Biblical knowledge. They encouraged me, and they lived the faith before me.  The seeds were planted, and they began to take root.  Stubborn as I was, I finally surrendered my life to the Lord and began to live fully for him. The faithfulness of those who came before me led me to the calling God had always intended for me. 

Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in both word and deed is God’s will for all his children. We share the good news and leave the rest to God.  He is faithful, and his timing is perfect.  (1Corinthians 3:6 NKJV, I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.)  We partner with God to bring salvation to the world.

 I’m reminded of this old-time hymn which seems to define our part quite clearly, “trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, then to trust and obey.”

 (Lyrics are from the hymn “Trust and Obey” written by John H. Sammis in 1887)

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UNITY

(Psalm 133:1) How good and how pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Imagine how good and pleasant it would be if God’s people all over the globe lived in unity. Unity for our purposes today means: God’s people coming together with a single focus.  What is that single focus?  I think it can be expressed as – each of us, doing God’s will. 

 The billions of Christians who currently live on the earth, coming together in unity with God’s will, presents an awesome picture.  The question then for each of us is – who’s will dominates our life, God’s will or our will? If we are driven by our own will, then unity is not going to happen.  If we surrender our will and submit to God’s will, we will have unity.

  Jesus prayed to the Father, “not my will but your will.”   He was facing a horrible death but look at the results of his obedience.  Laying aside our will is difficult, but we can trust God with the outcome.

Submitting to God’s will is the goal; unity will be the reward. Oh, how good and how pleasant it will be.

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THE LOVE OF GOD OR THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD? PART 2

(Genesis 18:20&21) Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me.  If not, I will know.”  

In the time of Abraham, the Lord and two angels stopped by his dwelling to deliver the news that his wife Sarah would bear a son within the year.  The Lord and the two angels were on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah to see if the time of judgement had come for the two cities.  Abraham pleaded with the Lord that if ten righteous were found there he would not destroy the cities.

When the Lord and his angels got to the cities, they entered the home of Lot who was Abraham’s nephew.  The men from every part of the city found out that strangers were visiting Lot.  they gathered, surrounded Lot’s home, and said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight?  Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” (Genesis 19:5)

You can read the rest of this event in Genesis chapter 19, but needless to say, judgement came upon the two cities.  They were completely destroyed along with the surrounding area. There were apparently not ten righteous found in the two cities, but the Lord spared Lot and his family.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is another example of God’s sovereign right to judge his creation. It is important to note that God takes no pleasure in destroying his creation, but he is a holy and a righteous judge.

(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 All through the Old Testament God was working out his plan to redeem the world.  In the New Testament, he sent his Son that we might avoid his judgement and instead have eternal life.  The Bible makes it clear that judgement will come, but God has given us the opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness.

The choice is clear, eternal life in loving relationship with our creator, or suffer his final judgement. The advent of Jesus’ coming to save us makes it clear that God would rather have a loving relationship with us then to pass judgement on us.

(John 3:17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

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WE REFLECT THE LIGHT THAT JESUS BROUGHT TO ALL MANKIND

(John 1:4&5) In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

(John 15:5) I am the vine you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

It dawned on me as I was contemplating these words from the book of John that God has placed for us, from the very beginning, an example of how the power of Jesus flows through us.  The sun, which provides us with light, is a ball of nuclear energy of amazing power and endurance.  The moon has no power of its own, but it reflects the light of the sun.  We only see the moon’s light when it is in position to reflect sun light.

Jesus is the all-powerful source of life, and he shines the light of life for all mankind.  We his disciples reflect his light, so that many will be able to know his light. Just like the moon, we don’t have the power of the light, but we can reflect that light.  Without him we are powerless; with him we can reflect the power of life.

The enemy would love for us to get caught up in imagining we have our own power.  It’s a trap of pridefulness, and we know that pride comes before a fall.  Trying to shine the light of life without maintaining our connection to Jesus, the source of power, will indeed results in a powerless display of pride and be useless in God’s kingdom.  That’s why Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing.”

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REVIVAL

Throughout the history of Christianity there have been times when the Holy Spirit has come in power among us, and multitudes of people have come to Jesus to be saves from their sins.  We call this move of the Spirit “revival”.  The first time the Holy Spirit came in this way was on the Day of Pentecost.  Thus, when we pray for revival, we seek to revive the events that happened on that day. 

(Acts 2:1-4) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

This occurred in an upper room where the disciples and other believers were gathered together in prayer.  Acts 1:15 tells us there were about a hundred and twenty present.  As this miraculous event progressed, it flowed from the building to the street.  Many gathered to discover what was happening.  Peter stepped up and explained to the crowd that this is the Holy Spirit.  When he was finished explaining, about three thousand people gave their lives to Jesus.  The account in Acts goes on to explain that every day others were added to their number. 

Since this first manifestation of the Holy Spirit, God has caused these events to happen throughout the world.  The Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection has been spreading from that time in Jerusalem till now.  From time to time, God, in his perfect timing, has used these miraculous events to draw people to himself.

Each time there is a revival there is a powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, miracles happen, people speak in other tongues, and supernatural healings take place.  The presence of the Holy Spirit is so strong that people sometimes become overwhelmed.  Yet the most significant outcome is that multitudes receive salvation. 

The movie “Jesus Revolution” does a great job of showing what happens during a revival.  I recommend that you see this movie.  I was personally revived and encouraged as I watched how God comes in power for the redemption of his people.

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THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION

(2Corinthians 5:17-19) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old is gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Last week I wrote about God’s amazing plan to bring us back to what he desired for us from the beginning.  He reconciled us through the sacrifice of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ.  Jesus took our sins upon him and paid the price that we were unable to pay.  So here we are a new creation before God.  He has given us the promise of eternal life – never to be separated from him again.  Can we share a WOW! 

What are we going to do to show our gratitude for this great gift?  We don’t have to do anything to earn this gift because it has already been given.  The Apostle Paul tells us what God wants us to do to show our gratitude.  He has given us the “Ministry of Reconciliation”.  He wants us to tell those we live among: “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” 

Yes, as you think about it, this message is not necessarily going to be received as the good news.  People don’t always believe it, and some simply want to go on sinning.  They are often offended by the message.  Jesus told us to be as wise as serpents, but be as gentle as doves since our ministry is not always effective by using the direct approach.  I have always tried to live in the joy and hope God has given me. I’ve worked to love people, care for them, and pray for them, while waiting for the time to come when their heart is opened to receive the message.  This is how I have approached the ministry of reconciliation, but we are all uniquely gifted by God to share the message in the way he has designed us. 

In loving gratitude, let’s continue to tell of the wonderful, miraculous gift God has given us.  Our sins have been forgiven, and we have eternal life with him available to us.  Thanks be to God that he has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation.

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GOD’S GIFT FOR YOU

John 3:16-17, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not parish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Christmas is a celebration of God’s love for his creation. His love is so deep that he gave his Son as a gift to us. With his advent, the Son brought to us eternal life.

John 3:18, Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

If you don’t believe then you’re condemned. However, the gift still remains before you. Reach out and take hold of Jesus, and you will have eternal life.

There’s a great fog of lies to hide this great and eternal gift from you. Just reach out in faith, and the fog will begin to clear. Jesus will be there to draw you to him.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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THE RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM

To conclude what I‘ve been writing about the Kingdom of God I’ve written a short story. Here is the first part.

 

In the beginning, the Great Ruler established a new kingdom within his realm. He loved this new kingdom and enjoyed visiting with his new subjects. He saw to it that they had everything needed for a blissful life. However, one of his other subjects rebelled against his rule and decided to take over this new kingdom.

Through deception and lies, he convinced the inhabitants of the new kingdom to join his rebellion. The new kingdom then came under a curse of death and destruction. It became a dark place full of evil. The rebel leader delighted in this for he himself had become evil.

His rule over the new kingdom went on for many years. Finally, the Great Ruler had enough. From the very beginning, he had a plan to regain his new kingdom. It was now time to implement his plan. His plan was kept secret, and he caught the rebel leader by surprise.

The great Ruler sent his Son to the new kingdom, but he came not as a ruler but in the likeness of the humble people. Later, the son began to announce that the Great Ruler’s kingdom had come. This disturbed the rebel leader, so he began to figure out how to stop this challenge to his rule.

The Son showed the power of the Great Ruler’s kingdom with many signs and wonders. The people began to follow the Son because they were intrigued by his teaching and the miracles he did for them. They were also drawn to him because he had power over the rebel leader’s soldiers.

Many of the people desired to enter the Great Ruler’s kingdom, but there was a problem. All of them had indulged in the evil of the rebel leader. They could not enter the Great Ruler’s kingdom without first being cleansed. The rebel leader knew this so he was confident that he would keep his subjects. He thought, “I’ll get my subjects to kill the Son then I’ll for sure have the victory.”

Next week the conclusion