The searchers, and the God who sees.

I saw his name come up on facebook and clicked the profile out of curiosity.

Yes, it was him. Someone I knew from an old job - barely an acquaintance, but I had sat across from him at a hamburger place with a co-worker, listening to him spill out a story much too private and heartbreaking for our short lunch break meeting. He was barely out of his teens, climbing out of a childhood laced with abuse and pain and abandonment, but somehow optimistic - confident in his newly found identity, pursuing a life-style that my co-worker was quick to affirm. I was silent, unsure of what to say, eating my fries and watching his face as he spoke. But his eyes gave something away.

Now, several years later, I recognized the same look in his pictures. A confident, care-free pose, but emptiness and pain behind the gaze. No doubt, what he had been chasing did not satisfy.

Still, he was stumbling down the same path, perhaps hoping that it might eventually bring him the fulfillment of his heart's most ardent craving: love.

We were made to know this love, to be completely known by Another. And yet, so many run in every direction but the right one - scrambling, falling, searching, hurting.

Look around. Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's not, but look - the hunger, the search, is there.

It's in young girls, dressed for eyes that shouldn't be looking, searching for acceptance. It's in the drunk man shuffling by on a Friday night, in the homeless guy at the corner shaking a cup for change, in the quiet woman waiting for her bus, in the business man with the expensive looking suit.
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It's in every soul that's bent on drawing from this world what only God can ultimately give - healing, forgiveness of sin, mercy beyond what we could ever dare hope for, love vaster than we can imagine, real joy. What we were created for - to know and be known by our Creator.

Taking one last look at my old acquaintance's face, I closed facebook, closed my eyes, and prayed for this lost soul.

Pursue him, Lord, wherever he is. Use Your children to be salt and light, to share the good news that,

"...when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy..." Titus 3:4,5

You are still offering salvation, Father, may we be eager to tell about it...

The Power to Forgive and Conquer Our Sin

Every other Friday night I have the privilege of listening to some faithful men preach the gospel on the street using a sketch board, and they are always diligent to present the truth that it is because of our sin that we need saving. Such a simple statement, and yet sometimes missed in modern gospel presentations. The main issue is not that we need love, and fulfillment, and purpose in our lives (we do, but that is not the point of the gospel) - it is that we have offended a loving, holy, pure and just God with our sin, and without forgiveness, will be sent to hell. To approach Him, to fellowship with such a God, we desperately need a righteousness that is not our own. That is why Jesus Christ is good news - He payed the penalty for our sin so that we might be restored to God in faith and repentance. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Eph. 2:8,9

Most who read this blog already have an understanding of those truths - but even we who are saved are to meditate on and rejoice in the gospel. :)

For that reason, I've started reading (again) The Gospel According to Jesus. I want to have a firm grasp on the message we are called to share. I found the following quotes from MacArthur to be a refreshing reminder of the simple, yet powerful truth of the gospel:

"Sin is no peripheral issue as far as salvation is concerned; it is the issue...the distinctive element of the Christian message is the power of Jesus Christ to forgive and conquer our sin. Of all the realities of the gospel, none is more wonderful than the news that the enslaving grasp of sin has been broken...

The gospel according to Jesus is first of all a mandate for repentance...From the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the heart of His message was a call to repentance. In fact, when our Lord first began to preach, the opening word of His message was "Repent" (Matt. 4:17). It was also the first word of John the Baptist's message (Matt. 3:2) and the basis of the gospel the apostles preached (Acts 3:19; 20:21; 26:20). No one who neglects to call sinners to repentance is preaching the gospel according to Jesus."

Which verses do you (or would you) most often use in communicating the gospel to unbelievers?

Wow.

HT: Truth Matters

Learning about Islam

A while back I came across Answering Islam, a website for Muslims who want to learn about Christianity, as well as for Christians who want to better understand Islam in order to refute it from a biblical standpoint. I've only gone through a few of the categories and articles, so read with discernment, but so far this seems like an excellent resource, especially if you are building relationships with Muslims through work, school, evangelism efforts, etc.

A few sections of note:

Why They Converted - Personal testimonies of Muslims who came to saving faith in Christ.

Muslims Asking Christians - Answers to common questions.

Muhammad - Examining "whether Muhammad is a legitimate / true prophet in the tradition of the Biblical revelation." (obviously he is not!)

I realize this might not interest a lot of you, but again, it might be a helpful site to bookmark if you ever need some help in discussing Christianity with Muslims. Keeping in mind, as with any study of cults and false religions, that the best way to spot error is to have a firm knowledge of truth. (Found in the Word of God, the Bible!) I once heard it put like this: To know if a stick is crooked, you only need to hold it up to a straight one!

It begins with a renewed mind...

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

con-formed
1. To correspond in form or character; be similar.
2. To act or be in accord or agreement; comply
3. To act in accordance with current customs or modes.

How desperately we need spiritual sight - to see as God sees, to cultivate a biblical perspective!

It is too easy to begin to think and see as the world does. To become lazy, comfortable, at ease in daily living so that this shift from biblical thinking to worldly thinking happens so quickly and even unnoticeably.

Here in North America (and other places, perhaps) we think we have such a modern, educated, "enlightened" society. We believe we're okay. Are there problems? Don't worry, we have law enforcement, doctors, treatments, prescription drugs, psychiatrists, counselors, scientists, educators, and of course, Oprah. We are working towards a better world, a utopia.

And we think we're good people. It's not that hard, really. Do a few good deeds here and there, don't intentionally hurt others, and above all, be absolutely tolerant to differing religions, view-points, beliefs, etc. No absolute standard of truth for the truly enlightened individual.

God help us! As Christians, we need to see through all this white-washed nonsense, to have an accurate (which means biblical) picture of the true, deepest need of humanity - to be reconciled to God.

Jesus words in John 4:35 are as applicable now as ever: "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest." Harvesting is hard work, involving sweat and endurance and calloused hands. To be honest, I would often rather be picnicking under a nice shady oak tree then to be out harvesting. Are you with me there? Let's change. I don't think we'll regret it.

Jesus is more valuable than my comfort.

I want to go deeper - to know God more fully, to see Him more clearly. To experience more of His power in daily living, for my life to be starkly different because I am a Christian. However, I am the kind of person that leans more toward enjoy-God-in-my-safe-little-comfort-zone kind of living. This is not a good thing. In fact, it's got to go. I have a feeling it will be a life-long struggle, but Jesus didn't say living for Him would be easy.

I want to know His power, but how can I do that if I don't take risks? 2 Corinthians 12:9 silences my small excuses: Power is perfected...in weakness. Weakness? I qualify! It all comes down to moving away from self-centeredness, all this me stuff.

I don't know what this means for you today.

For me, it means doing the homework for a class on Evangelism I'm taking: going to a public place to hand out Gospel tracts. I don't feel very brave, and I definitely don't feel very equipped, but I'm greatful to stand on the truth of 2 Corinthians 3:5 - "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God."

Evangelism: The Right Motive

The church I attend is teaching an eight week class on Evangelism, and part of the suggested reading is The Gospel & Personal Evangelism, by Mark Dever. In it, I found the following quote by John Cheeseman:

Love for God is the only sufficient motive for evangelism. Self-love will give way to self-centeredness; love for the lost will fail with those whom we cannot love, and when difficulties seem unsurmountable, only a deep love for God will keep us following His way, declaring His Gospel, when human resources fail. Only our love for God, and more important, His love for us - will keep us from the dangers which beset us. When the desire for popularity with men, or for success in human terms, tempts us to water down the Gospel, to make it palatable, then only if we love God will we stand fast by His truth and His ways.

I would definitely agree - loving God is the only sufficient motivation for witnessing. Too often, my evangelism (or lets be honest - my intended-but-not-carried out evangelism) is fueled by guilt - "I'm a Christian, I'm obligated to witness to this person." Or, "Wow, such and such a person witnesses all the time. I want to measure up to what they're doing."

Thinking like that does not supply the courage and power we need to be faithful witnesses, and it doesn't honor God.

I'm praying right now that God would increase my passion for the Gospel - that I would be so overwhelmed with thankfulness and awe by Christ's work on the Cross that I cannot help but open my mouth to share the good news with others.

God's Sovereignty in Evangelism

Head on over to the Truth Matters blog to read some excellent excerpts from When Grace Comes Home. (Parts 1, 2, and 3)

Here's a portion on how the sovereignty of God relates to sharing the gospel:

"One looks to God and not human ingenuity. One is not tempted to make the gospel more palatable to worldlings...One knows that the unregenerate heart is hard. One knows that it cannot understand what we’re saying (1 Cor. 2:14). What are we to do then? Proclaim the gospel. It is the power of God. It is ‘living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.’ (Heb. 4:12) One can trust God to work through His appointed means without manipulating the audience or the message. God encourages the Apostle Paul to continue in Corinth saying, ‘I have many people in this city’ (Acts 18:10). They were not yet converted, but they would be. The gospel itself would be the means of digging them out. I believe the same is true for us today. We don’t need to use psychological pressure. It doesn’t work anyway. We don’t need to tone down the message. We would weaken its effectiveness by doing so. What we need to do is depend upon the God-appointed means and get out of the way."

(Original photo - the fields are ripe!)

My Muslim Friend

A woman that I work for is a Muslim. As I clean her house, I catch glimpses of her life. Prayer beads and prayer mats in every room. Numerous copies of the Koran open on tables. In the afternoon the TV is turned up and eery strains of the Islamic call to prayer fill the house. If she goes outside, she must wear full Muslim attire. This is her life, every day. Rituals, rules. And what is her hope? That if her good deeds outnumber her bad, if she follows and worships Allah, she might go to heaven. She obeys out of fear. There is no love - this imagined Allah does not care for his subjects.

The beauty and treasure that we possess in Jesus Christ stands in sharp contrast to Islam. We do not, cannot earn our salvation - instead Jesus willingly suffered and died in our place and extends grace to all who will repent and put their trust in Him. (Romans 5:6,8; 10:9)

As I remove a copy of the Koran to dust an end table, I'm filled with gratefulness. I have a Savior, and I know that I will enter heaven one day because of His gift. I strive to live for Him - not out of fear, but in love and thankfulness for all that He has done!

I pray that God will use me to communicate this good news to my Muslim friend.

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?

Here's a piercing hymn by Isaac Watts:

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

Riding the train home from a weekend spent with a friend, I put on my headphones and settled back, looking forward to a few hours of solitude.

The train slowed a half hour later and a single passenger boarded, a man who looked to be in his forties. Was he homeless? I couldn't help but notice his dirty, well-worn clothing and unshaven face as he lumbered up the aisle, looking for a seat. There – an empty one, but a lady hurriedly placed her purse on it and turned away. He paused, scanning the rest of the aisle. The car was nearly full, but he noticed the empty seat beside me and gratefully collapsed into it. I acknowledge him politely and turned back to the window.

“Where you headed?”

I took off my headphones and told him I was on my way home from visiting a friend. He nodded but didn't turn away.

He smelt like he hadn't bathed in a month. Ashamed of my reluctant attitude to talk to this stranger, I remembered the gospel tracts I had slipped into my purse as I packed for my trip, praying that God would provide an opportunity to give them away. The man was still looking at me. Okay God, so much for solitude – use me if you can.

“What about you? Where are you going?”

The next half hour we talked, and the stranger told me all about his broken life. He was an alcoholic. His wife couldn't take it any more and had left him. His two sons thought he was a bum and hated him. He had been fired from his job and couldn't find work. He was tired of trying to fix things, tired of being without hope. He had no money and was going to try and stay with his sister for a while.

The next station was announced. I hadn't said much throughout the whole conversation, and now his stop was next up. I fingered my purse nervously, aware of the silent passengers that sat around us, dozing or maybe listening. Help me, Father.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out the gospel tract from my purse and gave it to him. I was surprised that my fear seemed to melt away as I launched into a condensed version of the gospel. When I finished, he leaned forward and put his head in his hands and when he sat up again and looked at me his eyes were red. Had he heard? Did he understand? He was crying – he didn't care that people were obviously all ears now. “I’m nothing!” he said simply. The train slowed as we approached his stop and he seemed at a loss for words. Cramming the tract into his jacket pocket, he stood up and then turned back. “I won’t forget this."

I couldn't see his heart or the decision that he might have made, but God knows. He arranges circumstances for a reason, and graciously allows us to be used to spread the good news of salvation, insignificant as we are…sometimes when we least expect it.

Open Up!

Do you ever feel that uncomfortable pull to soften your words, hold back the complete truth, say (or not say) something to convince the person you're speaking with that you're not....too different? Am I confusing you yet? :)

I'm talking about conversations about God. About being a light. Sharing the gospel. Talking about the Lord's influence in your life. Sometimes it feels like a continuous battle to live boldly as a christian without worrying or wondering about how others perceive me. I want that to change though. I want to live boldly for Christ, to be available for Him to use wherever and whenever. How do I become that person? I realize that it's a continuous process. I continually need to be meditating on God's Word, and asking for His help. It's a change that needs to come within the heart, and I can't do that on my own. A couple things I like to remember:

1. Feeling (being) different is a good thing! The contrast between followers of Jesus and the world is supposed to be stark, something that sadly isn't often the case in our society.

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 3:20)

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15)

2. I need to trust God for strength. Our job is to obey. Often only as we take the first step in obedience does God give us the strength. Not always beforehand.

"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7)

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

How about you - Do you ever struggle in this area? Do you have any favorite verses about being bold as a believer?