Have You Learned to See God?

John 12:21 - Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 

2 Chron 7:14 - if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

For the past 2 weeks I have been blessed with a very rare extended vacation, and have taken the opportunity to spend about a week with my parents at their home in rural Tennessee. It is a beautiful place in a beautiful part of the country. Blue skies, lush green grass and trees, abundant wildlife with birds, rabbits, deer, and more.

Also partaking in the blessed homestead is a stray cat and her kittens. Understandably, the kittens are very shy and scatter at the first sight of a human. They have a healthy, well-founded fear of things bigger and stronger than themselves. However, they don't realize that this giant is gentle with no desire to harm them. 

I've been watching one of the bolder kittens and her mother this week, and something very simple happened that spoke of a much deeper meaning. This afternoon, I was sitting on a comfortable porch chair with the mother cat lying in the sun in front of me. The mother has been providing for her young, weaning them off by bringing back mice and attempting to draw them out further and further from underneath the porch area. She is trying to introduce them to the world, so that they can survive on their own. Part of that effort has been trying to get them to accept the presence of humans.

Well today the kitten came right out to its mother, directly in front of me. I was literally watching right over the top of them as the kitten played with its mother less than 2 feet from me...but the kitten was completely unaware of my presence. The kitten even looked directly at my feet, but did not recognize it as a human. The little kitten did not even know to raise her head and look at my face, and even if she had, she would not have recognized me for who/what I am--a human, a fearsome creature to a kitten, at least without having any interaction with me.

It struck me that in this moment, so many of us are living as this little kitten, oblivious to the presence of God, seeing Him only as a fearsome being and one that is certainly not good or for us, but is rather an adversary. Without knowing our Creator, we run at the first sight of Him and we want nothing to do with His presence, feeling threatened by even the mentioning of Jesus name. Have you not noticed this response to the name and character of Jesus being mentioned in a public setting? Nevertheless, just because a person has not learned to recognize God does not mean that He does not exist. In fact, He is right there, literally watching over you. Do you perceive Him just now?

The truth is that if I was as maliciously inclined toward this kitten as it feared, I could have done the worst to it. I was in position and it was oblivious. I am stronger, bigger, and had full opportunity. The only thing saving that kitten from the immediate death that it feared was that I allowed it to live. And of course, my only desire was for it to live, as I enjoyed watching it play. The point is that many of us are so oblivious to God's presence, power, and goodness. God's presence and power mean that at this very moment, He could remove the breath from your lungs and you could perish, physically and eternally...but only in His goodness does He allow us to live...and for all of us who have lived before His eyes sinfully, His grace through Jesus Christ for those who believe is the only thing that allows us to live eternally.

The truth is that even as believers in our supreme God, we will not see Him unless we learn to look up at His face (that is, His character, what distinguishes Him as recognizably different from any other person, being, or god). And furthermore, we often have eyes that look but do not see. Just as the kitten, if we do not know what to look for or how to look, when even our eyes perchance look up toward the heavens, how will we even know to recognize God? But for so many of our fellow-men on this earth, they refuse to even look up. I implore you, do not resign yourself to a life of denying God's existence, never even looking in your mind's eye toward Him. I assure you, you may be as the kitten, claiming your perception to be reality, but how do you know if He isn't right there above you, looking squarely at your every behavior, word, and thought? I will conclude with a few attributes of God's very character...his face, if you will...that distinguish Him from all other persons, beings, or claimed-to-be gods:

 - My God is Creator of all things (Gen 1:1, John 1:1-4)
 - My God knows all things (even the thoughts of all men) (Job 34:21, Psalm, 33:13-15, 94:11, Prov 20:27)
 - My God is the unconquerable sovereign King of all things (Deut 32:39, Prov 19:21, Eph 1:11, 1 Tim 6:15-16, Rev 17:14)
 - My God is unadulterated love (1 John 4:8-10)
 - My God is just and full of grace at the same time (Rom 3:22-26, Col 3:25, Heb 6:10, 1 Pet 5:10)
 - My God is perfectly righteous and good (2 Sam 22:31, Psalm 100:5, 107:1)
 - My God made Himself to walk fully as man and God at the same time (John 1:14, Phil 2:5-11)
 - My God suffered and died to save sinners like me (Rom 5:6-11)
 - My God conquered death, and rose to life in a new body eternally (Acts 2:23-24, 1 Cor 15:20, 23
 - My God offers the same resurrection to eternal life for those who know and abide in Him (John 3:16-18, John 5:24, John 14:2-6, 1 Cor 15:20, 23, 26)
 - In my God is life, and apart from Him is only death, final and eternal (John 3:16-18, Rom 6:23)

Do you have questions about any of these statements? They are all from the Bible (a few references listed). I encourage you to find a Bible or go online to www.biblegateway.com, find someone who claims to know Jesus Christ, or speak with a pastor at a local Christian church and ask them to explain the claims I have made above. For those who already believe in Jesus Christ: We have just as much to learn from the kitten. We must mature. We must learn to look up. We must learn to look for God's face. And we must learn to recognize His face. And even those of us who might consider ourselves mature, we must practice daily discipline to seek His face, lest we find ourselves as the little kitten, walking through life before the presence of God, but missing out on the joy, peace, and rest of not just being in His presence, but abiding in it. As we abide, we begin to see Jesus, and nothing on earth or in Heaven is sweeter than the unity granted to us in the Spirit to abide in the presence of God the Father through the Son Jesus Christ. May such a life be yours this very day. Amen.


Scriptures Referenced:


My God is Creator of all things

Gen 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
John 1:1-4 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

My God knows all things (even the thoughts of all men)

Job 34:21 - "His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step."
Psalm 33:13-15 - "From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth, he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do."
Psalm 94:11 - "The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile."
Prov 20:27 - "The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being."

My God is the unconquerable sovereign King of all things

Deut 32:39 - "See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand."
Prov 19:21 - "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."
Eph 1:11 - "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will"
1 Tim 6:15-16 - "which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen."
Rev 17:14 - "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."

My God is unadulterated love

1 John 4:8-10 - "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

My God is just and full of grace at the same time

Rom 3:22-26 - "even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Col 3:25 - "But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality."
Heb 6:10 - "For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister."
1 Pet 5:10 - "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."

My God is perfectly righteous and good

2 Sam 22:31 - "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."
Psalm 100:5 - "For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
Psalm 107:1 - "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

My God made Himself to walk fully as man and God at the same time

John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Phil 2:5-11 - "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

My God suffered and died to save sinners like you and me

Rom 5:6-11 - "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."

My God conquered death, and rose to life in a new body eternally

Acts 2:23-24 - "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."
1 Cor 15:20, 23, 26 - "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep...But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming...The last enemy that will be destroyed is death."

My God offers the same resurrection to eternal life for those who know and abide in Him

John 3:16-18 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 5:24 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."
John 14:2-6 - "n My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know. 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
1 Cor 15:20, 23 - ""But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep...But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming."

In my God is life, and apart from Him is only death, final and eternal

John 3:16-18 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Rom 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

*All quoted scripture from the Old Testament is the NIV (1984) and from the New Testament, NKJV

The Gospel of Christ--A Systematic Exploration

Our bodies bear evidence of sin.  Disease, affliction, decay.  If our bodies carried no sin in them, they would cease to decay and no disease or affliction would be manifest.  This is how we were created--in the image of God.  Adam and Eve, and the human race, were created to live forever in perfect harmony with God, each other, and all creation.  That is, until they sinned in the Garden.  At that moment, the human body took on sin, by choice, and began to decay.  From this point forward, there is an irreparable rift between God and man, the perfect from imperfect, eternal from dying.  But just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, so through one Man (Jesus), sin is conquered and we can be reconciled (Rom 5:12-21).


Show me one man who has defied the decay of the human condition.  Show me one man that has lived even 2 generations, let alone eternally.  You cannot.  But I will show you Christ, who lived, has lived and forever will live.  Jesus is the only God-man to have ever lived and therefore lives forever, being fully God, and gives opportunity for all flesh to be saved--being fully man Himself--the only bridge of this gap between dying man and eternally living God.

Our bodies testify that we are born into sin.  For all flesh is grass and perishes (Isaiah 40:6, 1 Pet 1:24), i.e. all flesh contains sin and is therefore decaying.  If all flesh was not with sin, then not all flesh would be decaying...but the scripture, as well as our experience, testifies that all flesh is dying. Therefore, there is no difference in circumstance, moral code,  in perception or reality--all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). All flesh is grass.  All flesh is dying.  All flesh has sin.  All men are dying as a result of being covered in their sins.

Make no mistake--God is incorruptible.  He is too consistent to allow sin to survive.  Therefore, as He has decreed, all sin will die.  And therefore, all men will die.  And though He loves us, He cannot deny Himself.  He has too great of character...perfect character...He will not "change the rules," so that we might live.  We cannot offer any goodness or action such that He says, "I love this one too much to let him burn eternally in Hell.  I will let Him live."  No, God's desire for us to live does not give rise to Him compromising!  He would cease to be God if He could be compromised.  No, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

How then will we be reconciled to a perfect God?  How will we who are dying ever hope to live more than our short 100 years, if we are so lucky to live even that long?  If we are born into sin, what chance do we have, and how is it fair that God would allow us to be created and born into sin such that we have no chance of avoiding Hell?  God would certainly cease to be good, infallible, and sovereign if the truth was anything short of this: Jesus is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev 13:8, 1 Pet 1:20, Matt 25:34).  Let's look at this closer.

First of all, God created us knowing our ability to sin.  Not the unavoidable affinity to sin...no, just the possibility and our ability to choose.  Jesus Himself knew what was in man and did not entrust Himself to them (John 2:24).  In the same way, God has never, from the foundation of the world, entrusted His perfect care for the human race to man alone.  No, He is too good, too sovereign, too infallible.  Instead, reconciliation was conceived from the very beginning.  Let's examine free-will, God's foresight, and the means of reconciliation to Him.

Free-will.  This is the capacity to love.  Think about it: can you force someone to love you?  You can force another person to do many of the outward showings of "loving" behaviors in its various forms, but you have no ability to force a person to love from their heart.  This is by design.  Love, it turns out, requires a voluntary choosing of another.  And with any voluntary choice, there are two possibilities: the choosing of someone or something, or the rejection of that same someone or something.  This is free-will.  This is the gift of God to the human race to have the capacity to love!  Anything short of this and we become robots; and we ourselves, as well as God Himself, are deprived of the richness of love, as characterized by freely choosing Him.  And so any question of God's goodness in that He has "allowed" sin (inherently also death and decay, and even Hell that comes with it) to persist is easily answered in the beautiful gift of love made possible by having the choice.  The real question then isn't of God's goodness--the question is of our obedience or rebellion.

However, since God is perfect in foresight and sovereignty, he would have known that all men would sin--all men would choose sin and not Him, and therefore all men would inherit death, both physical and eternal.  "What a flawed system!" you might say.  And you would be correct if not for this truth: God prepared a way for atonement--a way to be reconciled to Him even after experiencing sin and the curse of decay.  This is His Son Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.  This is critical because we might otherwise think God had a moment like this: "Oh no, they are all sinning.  Oh no, through Adam all men have inherited sin and death.  What have I done?  How can I save this?  How can I rectify this?  Oh, I know...I've got it, I'll send my Son to die."  Nonsense. This is not what God did, as it would fall well short of His uncompromising character and power.  Instead, He, from the foundation of the world, made provision for reconciliation through Christ.  Let's examine that at last.

We have established that God is perfect.  Furthermore, He cannot be compromised and is unchanging.  He can accept nothing into His Kingdom except perfection (absolutely zero sin).  The problem arises that all men have sin, and are even born into sin.  This is sin that resides in our flesh, inherited as we are born, as well as willing sin committed as we ourselves have not chosen to love Him by obeying Him (John 14:15, 21, 23-24).  And so every single natural man being born to man is condemned to death.  Therefore, there is a naturally irreconcilable rift, for you can show me no man that has ceased to die, not even Jesus Christ Himself.  This is critical that even the perfect God-Man, the only God-Man, Jesus Christ had to die; though not a natural death of decay in sin--He Himself being perfect and without sin--but rather at the hands of sinful men, willingly taking on death, i.e. voluntarily taking on the sin of man with such sweeping fullness that He being without the curse of death from sin would die, death being the fruit of sin.

Putting it all together, the paradoxical sacrifice of a perfect God-Man is the only Hope of rectifying the chasm between God eternally perfect and man eternally sinful.  There must be a go between--someone or something with a foot on each side, something itself as incorruptible and perfect as the side of God, yet something as perfectly identified with the flesh of Man such that they could exist together and thereby provide a bridge across this great eternal chasm.  In this we see that as Christ's body was crucified, the punishment of death, the inherited death of the flesh was fully upheld and satisfied.  Now, this is satisified in every individual who dies: the body has perished in sin, and the soul is cast eternally into godless Hell for he cannot be reconciled with God.  That is, until through Jesus, something different happened.  In His death, He was still perfect...being perfect, He was the first to ever be reconciled to God after death of His own accord.  Suddenly the gap between God and man has a link, a bridge, a tie-line.  And as Jesus was again raised to life, He secured this passage, this link, this bridge to God--for in His resurrection to life, He did what no natural man could do--He demonstrated the power for perfect God to be greater than the sin of human decay that leads to Hell.  In this, He now remains at the right hand of the throne of God and through Him all can now pass from death to eternal life.

But that's just it--through Him alone.  Without choosing Jesus Christ as Lord, it is as if He never came for that individual...there is no reconciliation, there is no bridge to perfect God--we still have the free-will to choose or reject Him.  But with Jesus--the way, the truth, the life (John 14:6)--we have every fellowship with God the Father and are made perfect in Christ alone, being welcomed into His Kingdom forever.

Questions to consider:
When will you die?
Why will you die?
What will you say to God when you die?
Are you 100% sure that God will accept you?

In Jesus Christ my savior, I can say the previously unthinkable: Yes, I am 100% sure that God will accept me when I die, and I will live eternally with the King.  All the glory to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit who preserves us through the final day of judgment.  Amen.

Short Thought: Ministry and the Individual

John 10:3 - "...he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."

We must never lose sight of ministering to the individual, both in theory and in practice.  If we become ministers to the masses and not to individuals, then we cease to see the full potential of the power and life of Christ in our ministry—both the external fruit and the inward man.  But if we keep fresh in the front of our minds the soul of the individual, we may very well win the masses, one individual at a time.

This is contrary to our engineering or business training, which is all about efficiency and greater output per input.  However, Christ ministered to many at one time and we know that He saw each and every individual.  We may not yet have the full capacity of Christ, such that we could minister to a mass of people and see them all distinctly individually, but I believe that keeping the mindset of the individual in need of the life of Christ helps make our efforts more authentic and powerful.  I believe this because I believe it is the mind of Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, He is not encumbered by our limited capacity to personally minister to specific few individuals.

May we walk in the mind of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to minister to the individuals whom, in His sovereignty, He places in our path this very day.  Amen.

"My Work" vs. the Holy Spirit

About a month ago, I had the true privilege of giving the message at Church in the Park in Houston, TX, a ministry to the homeless every Saturday. I am not new to public speaking, but I am very new to preaching, as my first experience was only 6 months prior. As usual, in the days and weeks leading up to giving the message, I was giving a lot of thought and prayer to what message God might want to speak through me and how to deliver it.

The story I’m telling you today amazed me because it revealed something very simple about God, yet it was so profoundly communicated to me by Him through the experience.

In preparing for a sermon, you search for the most impactful illustrations and analogies, for the most insightful scriptural cross-references, and you pray that the Lord would not only give you the words to speak, but also, no matter what words leave your mouth, that they would be received by the ears of others with the Holy Spirit’s impactful guidance. And I even sometimes drive myself to the point of worry…something we are instructed by God not to do (1)…in this process. Isn’t it interesting how even good work on our Lord’s behalf, if we are not absolutely centered on Him, can be the things that drive us from Him? In my case, I’m thankful that He convicted me of my worry and replaced it with peace (mostly, anyway). But the lesson remains that “Christian work” can be the very thing that hinders our relationship with our Lord if our hearts are set on the work and not absolutely and simply set on Him alone.

On that Saturday morning, I felt well-prepared, and I thank the Lord for that. I delivered the sermon in a manner that I was pleased with…sometimes afterward you realize that, “oops, I forgot something!” Or, “That came out very awkwardly…I should reword all of that.” And your greatest fear is that you might lead someone astray through your own ignorance of God’s Word, combined with overzealousness. It is an amazing responsibility. But on this morning, I praised the Lord that it seemed to be very well received by those in attendance.

Afterwards, several people were standing up front to pray with anyone who desired it. As I stood at the front, I was the single person who no one approached to pray with. Others would actually stand in line to pray with another prayer partner, glancing briefly at me, making eye contact then looking away and waiting their turn. I thought, “Lord, why is no one praying with me? Please make me approachable! I enjoy this as much or more than the preaching. Please make me welcoming so that others will feel comfortable praying with me.”

No one prayed with me. That is, until near the end, a man walked up who looked a little disoriented. I spoke up and asked him how he was doing. He asked what was going on. I told him that we were praying with people at the end of the service and breakfast would be served soon. He walked over toward me, and this began a series of events that have remained burned in my memory.

He spoke, but I couldn’t quite make out every word. I thought, “Did he just say he wanted to give His life to Jesus?” I looked at him almost stunned for about 2 seconds, then I actually asked him, “What did you just say?” I laugh at myself now, firstly because I was so shocked that he was giving his life to Christ, and secondly that I actually asked him to repeat it. But I did want to be sure. He affirmed. He wanted to go right up front and be prayed over and to give his life to Christ!

After praying with him and doing some discipling on what it really means to be saved by Jesus Christ, he shared a little bit more. He said that he didn’t even come to the service. He was sitting on a bench several blocks away and knew that the service was going on. Then, in his words, “Something told me I needed to get up and go to the alter call.” When he arrived, he ran into me, and by the end of the morning, he had accepted salvation from our Lord Jesus Christ.

What a joy this was! The first time I had ever personally taken part in another’s declaration of belief in Jesus. What floored me even more was the fact that the one man who gave his life to Christ that morning—was the man who didn’t hear a word of my sermon. I absolutely love this because it is such a declaration of the power being of God and not of us!(2) After all of my toil and worry about having just the right words…it became apparent that all that mattered was that I and we were obediently in the appointed place at the appointed time…and the rest of the work—the real transforming work—would be accomplished by the Holy Spirit.

Brothers and sisters, the pressure is off. Do not feel that you need to have the right words or be further educated in scriptures. If you want to invest your time and energy to being more effective in spreading the Good News of Christ, spend your time and energy in simply being obedient to His call and giving yourself to prayer. In the middle, a diligent worker will certainly prepare to the best of his/her abilities—this is being a good steward—but do not fret over that! Simply go and be. Go where God leads and abide in Him, His word and prayer, and I can testify with confidence that the Holy Spirit will do wonders with your tiniest of offerings. Remember, not one person who heard my sermon came forward to receive Christ that day, but the one who didn’t hear a single word did. May you be blessed with the similar experiences, time and time again. I pray that we both are so blessed. Amen.

1 - Matt 6:25-34, 1 Cor 4:20

2 - 1 Cor 3:5-9, 2 Cor 4:1, 1 Cor 2:5

You can listen to the sermon from Church in the Park that morning by following this link to the blog post: Relationship with God - Church in the Park Message

Relationship with God - Church in the Park Message

I had the pure joy and privilege of speaking the message at Church in the Park in Houston, TX this weekend. This ministry seeks to bring Christ to the homeless in downtown Houston, providing worship music, a Bible-based message, and breakfast for all who attend. It is held outdoors in a park right off of downtown.

The experience was amazing. Of course, being given the honor of speaking a sermon was very exciting, but the one-on-one conversations and prayers were most enjoyable. You can listen to the 20-min message by watching the video below. The topic is Relationship with God, with a focus on being children, servants, and friends with God. The Prodigal Son is studied as an example of this relationship. I hope the Lord uses it for good in your life this very day:

(Follow-up post about an amazing story of God working behind the scenes and through Church in the Park that morning: "My Work" vs. the Holy Spirit)

Shared Convictions - Christ Seen in You and Me?

I heard something that really stuck with me from a friend and fellow Christ follower last Sunday.

I'll summarize what the person said with the following question: Do others recognize me as a Christian because I'm living to high standards...or are they seeing Christ in me?

Meditate on that one this week. How am I displaying Christ to my co-workers today? To my family? To anyone I meet? I can strive to live up to the holy standards of the Bible, but the lost seeing Christ in me will be the thing that changes their lives.

At this point, my logical mind asks the next logical question: What does "seeing Christ in me" really mean? Well, I've been doing a lot of writing over the past year, but instead, I'd like to hear from you on this one. Where does that hit home with you? I seek your thoughts for you, and for me, for I know I will be convicted by their truth! And I love that we can share that.

A loved one of mine responded to the question with the following:

"Hey, that's a good question! I've thought about that a lot since working full time.

I think that we will never actually see Christ in ourselves, though I think that the fruits of His Spirit are a good place to start in understanding what it means. I think that others may see Him in us, but it should surprise us if they ever pay us such a compliment. Obviously, we can't make it happen on our own either. We know what the fruits of the Spirit are (love, joy, peace, patience, etc...), but if we focus on "I'm going to be more loving" or "I'm going to work on patience today", we get well acquainted with failure. We have to pray for and rely on the Holy Spirit to change us and prompt us (we have to pray and rely on God to be the means, rather than striving for an impossible end). It is called the fruits of the Spirit anyhow, not the fruits of humans trying to be good people. In the end, I think humbling yourself before God each day (praising God with thanks and joy, directing your inner monologue towards God as fellowship with him, seeking Him in the Word) puts you in a place where God can actually work through you. In my experience, while I would still have to make an effort to be patient with annoying co-workers, or kind to a nasty person, I would look back and see that I'm still not perfect, but I'm not the person I used to be and I don't quite know how I made that progress, except that God was working on me!

I think the hardest part of it all is when you aren't seeing or feeling any change in yourself, to keep running the race, as Paul puts it, or to keep your head down and keep praying and keep reading (abiding) in the Word, etc - trusting God that His promises are true, whether you are "feeling" it or not. Chances are that that in itself is making more of a change in character in you than you know, and that someone may comment on what a change they've seen in you - which again will come as a total surprise. When God is or seems silent, He is still actively at work in us. (This is all just from personal experience!)"

I love that perspective. I'd love to hear from you, too. I invite you to share your convictions by commenting on this post. After all, "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17)

-Will

"I was driving home from church..." - A True Story

I write this to encourage you. To show you one way that the Lord works within you and me. I am self-conscious since this is my story, but I feel that sharing it may do some good in your life. That is my single motivation.

Matt 25:34-46 –
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

I was driving home from church and Sunday school one February night.

I exited off of the interstate loop that circles Houston, TX and came to a stop at the light, only a couple more turns from my apartment home. I was hungry. My lunch was small and it was almost 8:30 pm. I knew I didn’t have time to cook, so I planned on stopping at KFC on the way to my apartment for some tasty fried chicken, green beans, and a biscuit.

As I sat at the light, the only car at the intersection, a homeless man with a styrofoam cup looked at me. I looked squarely at him, a new phenomenon in my life, as I typically avert my eyes, pretend to be busy and hope for the light to turn green instantly. There is a double-sided feeling within me in those situations—one of common discernment and good judgment that would say to not help, that they’ll likely only use it for beer, and when you give a little, they immediately try to pump you for more. It’s awkward being rich and giving such a small amount to the poor--think about that--I hope it's as convicting to you as it is to me. Then again, I’ve heard of those who make more than minimum wage begging on the streets and therefore don’t even desire a normal job—this is tax free to boot. The other side is of compassion and what feels like obedience…and guilt every time you do nothing for them. So which shoulder’s argument are you going to listen to today, Will? Do you even know which side is right? Perhaps one is right sometimes and the other is right other times—perhaps you’ve been saved from a murderous cheat and liar a time or two…or perhaps you’ve not fed Jesus Himself by not feeding the least of these a time or two. How can I know as I sit in my truck?

That’s just it. Sometimes we don’t know. In those times, I think a correct response is deciding that since Jesus lives within me through the Holy Spirit, I’m going to engage this man and let Jesus speak to him. I don’t know how, but by Jesus’ presence in my life and my presence in this man’s life, Jesus is present in his life. The rest is Jesus’ work. I am just the obedient vessel.

Women: if it is after dark and you’re alone, don’t open your door or window to someone you don’t know. I believe this is sound advice. I’m not saying to be stupid here…conversely, I’m also not saying to obey “common wisdom.” I’m saying to the let the Holy Spirit speak. I’m not saying to put yourself at risk for the sake of “doing something.” That is foolishness. Movement on risky situations without the Spirit’s guidance can literally be a death sentence. Moving on risky situations with the Spirit’s guidance can be a Life sentence…for you and for those you help.

However, I did not feel that this situation was threatening or risky, except to my comfort level and awkwardness avoidance. Those things were certainly in jeopardy.

So I rolled down my window to just talk with the guy. I knew I had no cash and I didn’t even have any quarters. His slurred speech was almost indiscernible as he told me his standard 10-second plea for help, from which I learned that he was a veteran and had many medical issues from Vietnam. Was he telling the truth? I don’t know. Probably. Either way, he was a filthy homeless man in obvious need. But I had only pennies.

I told him that all I had were a few pennies. He said, “I’m not too proud for pennies. I’ll take ‘em if you’ll give ‘em.” I poured what might have been a dollar’s worth of pennies from my truck’s ash tray, 2 year’s worth of accumulated change that hadn’t been spent on those pesky toll booths. He was joyful and said, “God bless you” as he saluted me. I smiled and said “God bless you, too.” He grinned a half-toothed grin that was genuine.

I continued to drive to KFC. Dinner time. I planned to take it back to my apartment and eat quickly before launching into my ever-expanding task list. A few of the items circulating in my brain included finishing the BSF bible study homework for the next day, cleaning my apartment for visitors this week, preparing a sermon for the church I’ll be speaking at Sunday as well as a presentation for a missions report on a recent trip to India with an amazing organization (As Our Own) to present to the same church, and doing a load of laundry. Of course, only some of this would get accomplished this night before going to bed way too late, getting way too little sleep, and waking up way too early for work the next day.

“Can I help you?” “Yes, I’d like a 3-piece crispy strip meal with green beans and mac’n’cheese.” “Pull around for your total.”

My total was going to be about $6. What happened next was small, but would change my night and perhaps the life of another. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.

I suddenly realized that I just gave a homeless man about one dollar or less in pennies, then within 5 minutes was spending $6 on myself; I would then go back to my upper-middle class apartment with air conditioning, TV, and internet to enjoy my expenditure. How could I give a single dollar to a man with great need, and then spend 6 times as much on myself on something that I probably shouldn’t even eat and certainly didn’t need? Yeah, I was hungry, but I’ve had enough calories this week for 1.5 people—I didn’t NEED that food, I WANTED it. And the man who really needed it got only a few pennies from me.

I sat there convicted, arguing intensely with myself on what I should do.

“Give the food to the homeless man.”
“I’m not going to do that. I don’t have time. They don’t even want food half of the time anyway. It probably makes me vulnerable, too. Maybe another time…. This conviction is interesting, though. I can learn from this conviction. Perhaps others can too. Maybe I should write it down for myself and others to learn from my situation. Maybe I or someone else will be convicted, too. Maybe that will encourage them to have compassion and help others.”
“Why don’t you help him now?”
“Oh man. That’s what I need to do…. I don’t want to.”
“You need to. How can you treat yourself so well and forsake others?”
“Hmmmmm. Ok, ok, let’s do it!”

So I drove back down to the intersection and parked in a nearby parking lot. I walked over to the corner where he had been standing. He was gone. Hmmmm. “Well, Lord, I made myself available.” I was half disappointed and half relieved. “I guess I get to have my dinner after all. I did as I was told and still don’t even have to actually give the food away. I guess that’s all you wanted tonight.” Other cars were at the intersection and I felt a little awkward on the street corner with my KFC bag in my nicest jeans and tailored dress shirt (from India, no less). I was out of place and anyone could see that. I wanted to immediately and nonchalantly just make a 180 and walk back so as not to be seen by anyone for too long. But something made me pause on that street corner. I turned back toward the intersection, revealing my face for all the cars to see, as I made a sweep of the surrounding area with my eyes. The gas station—there he was. I headed across the street in that direction.

I met him walking back toward me, and he didn’t even know me as he started his spiel up again. I said, “Here, I bought you dinner,” as I smiled and handed it to him. His response caught me off guard, “What made you do that?” as he looked up with an open mouth and genuinely inquisitive eyes shrouded by dirt on all sides. What a perfect opening. Too perfect—I wasn’t ready for that! I thought I would have to work Jesus into the conversation and that was my “worry.” I laugh at myself now as I recall those thoughts. I paused as I gathered my response and said, “Well, I felt convicted that I need to help you out. See, I believe in Jesus Christ and I know that I am to love others as He loves us, and His ministry was in doing these things to help out people like yourself.”

William responded in affirmation as I noticed the cross necklace around his neck. He began to tell me all of His thoughts about Jesus and the Bible. It was an interesting mixture of thoughts, and I wasn’t sure if it was encouraging or concerning, as He said that He didn’t listen to any part of the Bible except Jesus’ words, sprinkling in the occasional curse word throughout the discourse. He said He didn’t want to hear anything else and didn’t think it was worth reading. He said you could throw it all out, but He liked Jesus’ words. I partially agreed with him as I responded by telling him that “yes, Jesus’ words are the words of life,” then adding, “but the entire Bible is the inspired word of God and when you read it in context with Jesus’ words it all fits in together perfectly.” He wasn’t completely convinced, but he also didn’t want to refute it.

After talking for several minutes, another man came over, asking about cigarettes. I said, “I don’t buy tobacco or alcohol, but I do by food and water.” He then turned and walked away in a resigned state. William said, “get away, we’re talking about God!” I was taken aback, hesitated, then said, “hey, yeah, so you’re welcome to come and talk, too.” He kept walking away.

In the conversation, I had a chance to share with William the difficult times in my life. I shared how I had almost died only 2 years ago. I motioned with my hands up and down my torso and confessed that the Lord had built me back up, but when I was almost to the point of death, it was the first time I realized my NEED of him. He said, “yes, yes, and he was just testing you and he’s given it back to you.” I sort of affirmed, clarifying that it was more than a test—it was growth. I also added that although I had asked for death from him, my life or death on earth wasn’t the principal revelation. It wasn’t about getting my physical body back—it was that for the first time I recognized my NEED of him and for the first time began to give my entire life to him.” (I repeated part of it to make sure he got it).

I also wanted to make sure he felt real conviction and wasn’t simply reciting what he’d heard before. I wanted to get to his heart. I told him that I was driving home from church and that I learned something tonight. I shared with him that we learned in the book of James about the “untamable” tongue, and Jesus’ words in Mathew that “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” I told him that I was convicted that I needed to be a man of clean speech, and not only that—that my heart had to be clean in order to have clean speech. I was going to add that I heard him curse a couple times, but the Holy Spirit obviously spoke before I could, as he said, “well, you haven’t heard me cursing any…have you?” I chuckled and said, “well yes, I’ve heard you curse multiple times in just the short conversation we’ve been having.” It was humorous as he sort of said “no,” then sort of accepted it as reality. I said, “Isn’t it great that we can be forgiven when we sin? Jesus will forgive you, and I don’t hold it against you. I just wanted to point it out to you to convict you.”

Soon afterward, William asked if I could get him a hotel for the night. “Here we go,” I thought, “I don’t want to buy him a hotel room.” Searching for excuses, but wanting to continue to display Christ’s love, I said what I really meant: “Hmmm. Maybe. But here’s the thing: ‘Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish…” He interjected, “and feed him for life!” as he smiled in affirmation and delight, adding that he really liked that one. I told him that I wasn’t going to be around all the time to buy him dinner or provide hotel rooms or anything else. I told him that I don’t pass this intersection much and God was going to take me on to the next thing in the next place, adding that I wanted him to learn what was available to him and to “learn to fish” so that he could begin to provide for himself, using the gifts that God has given him. After that, I prayed with him for a minute or two, mentioning that we were the same—two sinners in need of a Savior. I wanted to make a point of praying with him, no matter what else happened; and frankly, at this point, it would give me the space to determine what I should actually do next.

So, as a gesture of good faith and genuine interest, I walked him down the road to the cheap hotel nearby. At this point, I realized my “folly.” I had just promised him a room for the night, but it didn’t occur to me until the end of the 5 minute walk that I was liable for all damages that might occur. My wise friends and family would say, “Duh, silly. You’re smarter than that and should have known better.” I would agree. I am smarter than that! I know these things. But the Lord saw to it that my “common wisdom” would not interfere with His work here tonight and only allowed that “common wisdom” to return to me when it was again profitable for His Kingdom. As we approached the hotel, I stopped and looked at William, as I began to have a talk about stewardship (without using that term). I told him that I needed to know that he would respect the room and the gift I was to give him. His reply was basically “what do you have to worry about?” as he pointed skyward and said that we both had God. Right. But I assured him that I was doing my responsible duty to make sure the room was well cared for.

At the check in counter, I had my wallet out and took the opportunity to show him the 10 Rupees that I carry in my wallet (less than a U.S. quarter’s equivalent). I said, “see I don’t carry any cash, except this Indian money.” “Indian money? Where’d you get that.” Now I had the opportunity to share what I did with As Our Own in India. I told him I had gone there on a mission trip. He asked if I preached. I was surprised that my answer was actually, “yes.” I thought it was funny because I didn’t think of that being my main purpose in India—my purpose was to love and disciple the rescued girls and then have a little “preaching” on the side. Nevertheless, the conversation started there. I didn’t get into many details, except to alert him to the problem of sex-trafficking and that children as young as 6 years old are involved. He said he was getting sick at the sound of it. I hoped it was true, but doubted his sincerity. Nevertheless, I used the opportunity to relay to him the transformational power of Christ in the rescued girls’ lives. I also like to tell about it to the homeless as I convey my sincere thankfulness for the United States of America and the fact that I am not a slave myself and neither are my sisters or other loved ones. He seemed to count is few meager blessings…but he was counting, or at least that is what I perceived.

After checking in, I walked him down to his room, an oasis from a hard, filthy existence. He entered and took on a demeanor that he had not previously possessed. His cries of joy were uplifting. I had been skeptical of the whole thing, from the beginning and even as I shared the Gospel with him. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized what this meant to him, and I was joyful, too. For the first time that night, I was actually glad that I was helping this poor man out. He said that he might spend half the night in the bathtub, enjoying an obviously much needed bath.

Again, he was cursing. This time I was more direct. “You’re going to have to stop cursing.” He looked like he just absorbed a light blow. I added, “I’m just here to give you a gentle reminder,” as I gave a sheepish smile.

Once again, in the room (with the door open), I arranged for us to face each other squarely as I explained to him what was happening. I told him that this was a great blessing and God’s gift to him through me. I told him that “to whom much is given much is required.” I asked him to think hard and pray often about how he could use this experience to glorify God. I said, “think about the feeling you have right now.” Immediately, he let out this cry of intense joy as he looked upward…it was like watching my young nieces at Christmas time—just the sheer joy of a pleasantly and abundantly surprised child. I said, “Let that feeling pour out in your life into others. Realize that all men are capable of very terrible things and the Devil desires to seize those things. Realize also that all men are capable of great things, such as this gift to you. As the love of Christ is poured into you, I want you to remember this and seek to pour out into others.” He said, “I never can. I could never do so much for someone else, as you’ve done for me.” “You can pray,” I replied. “Pray for those you see. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them. Pray for me.” I told him to seek to show the same loving-kindness any way he could to those he encounters.

As we departed for the night, he told me that he was going to tell all the other guys what I had done for him. I told him, “I do this in Jesus’ name. Don’t forget that. This is done in Jesus’ name.” He said he wouldn’t forget it.

I went back to the front desk and told the clerk that I’d be back at 6:30am on my way to work to make sure the checkout went alright. I told her I knew I was responsible for any damages, but that I wanted any pornography or rentable movies or anything that could be purchased to be disabled for the room. It turns out that this hotel was cheap enough that they didn’t even have those options.

I started for home and wasn’t even hungry any more. I decided that I wouldn’t eat any dinner after all. Strangely, it felt kind of good to actually give up my personal dinner for another.

My prayers as I left were certainly for responsibility. I prayed for the room to be protected and that I wouldn’t have to pay any more than I’d already paid. But my deepest prayer is this: that this isn’t just an “act of kindness” that lasts for a single night. If that is the extent of it, then I know that my Father in Heaven is well pleased with me…but that just seems so unsatisfying compared to the thought that this might be the first righteous domino in this man’s life. I would trade any favor I gained for a real experience of Christ in this man. That somehow through the Lord’s grace and power, this domino would fall tonight and start a chain reaction in his life of restoration…not just physically, but spiritually. That he would grow into a mature man for Christ and that his testimony would grow out of this experience and win many others to Christ. I don’t know how the Lord does these things, but I know He does them. I am confronted with the reality that I am such a small part—a helper for a night—and whatever comes next is so far out of my control. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Cor 3:6). Amen to that. And may it be so abundantly true in the life of William, the homeless man on the corner. William, the loved child of God. William, the proud owner of a clean hotel room for a night. William, a freshly washed U.S. veteran back out on the streets. William, a powerful tool in the Lord’s hands.

You see, I had only witnessed “on the street” once before. I’ve probably only shared Jesus with a handful of people in my entire life. This is proof to me that as believers in Christ you and I are equipped, after all. We have the Holy Spirit. This didn’t come from long series of experiences with witnessing—this was like the mamma eagle kicking the baby eagles out of the nest, as they learn to fly as they fall. I hope that you take heart that you don’t need some amazing preparation. You simply have to obey and let the Holy Spirit speak.

Until we meet again, William, on earth or in Heaven, may God’s love, kindness, mercy, and grace abound in you and may your entire life be committed to Him. Amen.


I came home and wrote it all down. It’s 11:56pm, I haven’t done any of the things I set out to do tonight, and I’m hungry. But that’s alright with me.

Spiritual Sponges

Read the May 16 “My Utmost for His Highest,” and see if it doesn’t convict you:
http://www.myutmost.org/05/0516.html

Excerpt:
“What does it matter if external circumstances are hard? Why should they not be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we banish God's riches from our own lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it obliterates God and puts self-interest upon the throne. It opens our mouths to spit out murmurings and our lives become craving spiritual sponges, there is nothing lovely or generous about them.”

This whole thing gets to me, but the imagery of being a craving spiritual sponge really hits me. It is good to become a spiritual sponge…at first. Better to be a sponge than a slab of stone that will not retain any word from God, has no capacity to, and doesn’t want to. The first step is probably to become that craving spiritual sponge. I’ve seen it in new believers, including myself, and it’s beautiful—we realize how dry we are and want to absorb so much!

But we cannot stay there, can we? O.C. says this is the opposite of “lovely or generous,” and I believe he is speaking of the pouring out of the Spirit that was given to us on others. First we are filled, then we become instruments to fill others. God does the filling, but we are instruments in His hands—simply because it pleases Him to have such a oneness by working together with a “like mind” in this way.

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." - Philippians 2:1-2

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." - Jesus in John 17:20-26

He doesn’t need us, but His chosen way is to use us because He loves us and it builds intimacy with Him. Perhaps we are most like Him when we in turn share with others what has been shared with us—knowing Christ. What greater gift could God offer, but to beckon us to share even in the slightest of ways something that is like Him—perfect God?! No wonder a God who loves perfectly and “knows how to give good gifts” chooses for us to share with Him in sharing with others (Matt 7:11, Luke 11:13).

Perhaps we are still sponges. Sponges that are so saturated with God that we begin to drip and overflow—as we continue to be filled, we continue to overflow into others so that they might be filled (Luke 6:45, Romans 15:13, 2 Cor 4:15, 9:12, Col 2:7, 1 Thess 3:12, and more). If we are a “craving spiritual sponge,” then we only take—we would not be filled to capacity and cannot flow outwardly. I don’t have any special prescription on how to begin to overflow, other than to know that the Bible speaks volumes about it—it is everywhere—recognition of Jesus as Savior, receiving of grace and the Holy Spirit, and complete surrender to God. We never stop being sponges, but we must look both to receive and to immediately give in spiritual things.

The Cure

Loved Ones,

I have not always had a relatable answer to those who might ask me why I witness. And that has led to timidity. But there is a good answer that I think most people will relate to, even those who are not yet saved:

“Why do you witness? Why do you feel compelled to share your faith?”

These are questions that I have heard asked of those who actively share Christ with those around them. And often the question is not good-hearted…often it is asked with a tone of annoyance or even resentment. Why many of the world assume this attitude is a good topic for conversation, but right now I am more focused on our response to the question.

Consider Tim Tebow. It’s funny that at the mention of his name, if you know about him and who he is, you probably just had a reaction inside. If you don’t like the Florida Gators, that’s one thing (I am not a UF fan by any stretch of the imagination). But most have a reaction because he openly professes Christianity and seeks to share it with so many. He and other collegiate football players can be seen on TV on Saturdays with scriptural references on their eye-black strips below their eyes. I think that is awesome. I have heard that on Saturday, the number one Googled Bible scripture is the one on Tim Tebow’s face. If that’s true, it is absolutely awesome. Whatever the impact, people are seeking God’s Word through open and public witnesses such as these.

But many have a great disdain for Tim Tebow. I have heard many say almost these exact words: “He is a great college football player, I’ll give him that, but I can’t stand him because he pushes his faith on other people. If there’s a place for that, it’s not on the football field.” First of all, what is “pushing your faith” on someone? I believe Tim and others share their faith and the pushing that the individual feels as a result is the Holy Spirit!

I wish I was personally asked the question, “Why do you feel like you need to witness to me?” Even if the attitude is combative—because that would mean that I was actively witnessing. But nevertheless, I have considered the question. Why do I feel like I need to witness? The truth is this:

Consider the following situation: you and your entire family have cancer, for which there is no known cure. You are all dying together. One day you happen upon the cure. You did not create the cure, and likely someone else shared it with you, but you have happened upon the cure and you are cured—cancer removed! What do you do next? Certainly, you will share it immediately with everyone you know, especially your family who is dying of the cancer! How can you keep that to yourself? You can’t, and you share it with them because you love them and want them to have life.

The truth is that every single one of us on earth does have a cancer. This cancer is sin—separation from God that results in death to our souls. We are doomed without a cure. But one day, someone shared the Cure with me and I am free of it! God is the Good Doctor who discovered/created the Cure…but we have to go to see the Doctor to receive the Cure. He is there with it, beckoning us just to come to Him to receive it. But how will we go to the Doctor if we don’t first realize that we need to? We must first realize that we have the disease, then we must realize that there is a Cure, and we must recognize Who holds that Cure. Finally, we must go to the Doctor to receive the Cure—and then it’s all over—we’re cured. The Doctor Himself even comes right to us, but we must still allow Him to administer the shot that will cure us—He has done all the work and we simply have to accept Him and His Cure.

The example above contains 4 steps. Recognize your sin, recognize that you can be saved from sin, recognize that God through Jesus Christ is your salvation, and finally accept Him and go right to Him for forgiveness. The Cure is Jesus Christ, His willing and sacrificial death for us on the cross, and His resurrection and defiance of death as we know it. This is possible through His unending, boundless, perfect love for us, His creation.

If you have not experienced that yet, I encourage you to do it right away and accept the wonderful cure available to you. If you have experienced Him, you know just how amazing it is. How can we keep that to ourselves? How can we not share with everyone we meet? We are all part of the same family, after all. Let's help bring our family to God for the cure of salvation.

Amendment (4/23/10) - Great verse that sums up our approach: 1 Peter 3:15 - "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."

Easter

1. God is perfect. We are not. Heaven is a place for perfect things--it is the essence of being with God. No trace of sin can enter Heaven, and we have forfeited our entry upon sinning even once.
2. God loves us and seeks to bring us to Heaven with Him. He created us to exist with Him perfectly and gave us the power of mutual love by allowing us to choose Him.
3. Jesus, fully God, took on a human body and walked a perfect life. He then volunteered his life for us--a perfect sacrifice, a perfect man, a perfect God, brutally tortured and finally killed with a clear purpose: to save us.
4. In Jesus' death, he proclaimed that he has taken on our sin, our guilt, and bore the punishment for it in our place. God the Father has sent Him for this purpose and approves of this perfect sacrifice once and for all men and all sins. Jesus says, "I will pay the price for you, so that you may come to Heaven with Us." (paraphrase)
5. Our choice now is simply to believe in Jesus and admit that we've strayed. When we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are accepted and our slate of sin wiped clean.
6. We can now live with a perfect God in a perfect Heaven forever. Given the alternative, the choice seems clear.

Thought for the day...

What if you lived as though you were the face of Christianity to those you encounter every day? As though they knew nothing of Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Would they be convicted to follow the god that they see you “following,” as shown by your behaviors? What if you were the example that would draw them to God or push them away? Because the fact is—you are that person. To many—most you don’t even realize—you are the face of Christianity, the most real example of a Christian and how one behaves. Are you representing God or misrepresenting Him? We are not perfect, but it would be better not to be known as a Christian than to confuse others by calling ourselves Christians yet behaving otherwise—by claiming Christianity and not living it. But it’s more than just not misrepresenting God—it’s a supreme opportunity to represent Him and have an eternal impact on a human in need. Once you call yourself a Christian, there is only one choice and obligation—live that choice and show Christ to the world so that they may not be confused, but would experience our true God of love, grace, forgiveness, compassion, and pure righteousness. They will feel a natural pull toward an unknown God—you can help them know who He is. If you’re not helping, you’re hurting…Jesus said, “He who is not for me is against me.” (Matt 12:30)

As I read Brother Andrew’s words about Muslims in the book Secret Believers, I am struck with conviction of how our immoral society is perceived by the Muslim world (and others). The Muslim world, though misguided, is predominantly a very moral world—they stand strong on many moral ideals that are good in themselves. Furthermore, they don’t recognize a difference between church and state—whatever they see in the media, TV, and movies about “the West” they consider to be representative of Christians…but that is such a terrible picture to paint. And even those of us who separate ourselves from traditional American immoral activity—what are we doing to show true Christianity? Because just abstaining from immoral activity isn’t enough if our stand is not seen by non-believers. And the Bible says that we are not to have “even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” (Eph 5:3). Can you say that you don’t have even a hint of that? I cannot. So I have work to do…and it grieves me that every single day Muslims, Atheists, and many others are driven even further away by the behaviors of this nation…behaviors sometimes seen in me. It has to change. I have to change…we have to change.

What will we do with this conviction? Will we do anything, or just sit on the sidelines another day, another week, another month, another year…our entire lifetimes? Every day, over 25,000 people die in China alone (verified). Over 150,000 people die all over the world every day, including nations where Christianity is banned—how many of them were Christians? We can’t waste one day…