Tag: gospel

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

Vessels of Good News

madisondooley36 
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it 
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish, 
so that it yields seed for 
the sower and bread for the eater, 
so is my word that goes out from 
my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire 
and achieve the purpose for 
which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11

The Gospel is good news. Plain and simple. The actual word “gospel” is translated to mean “good story” or “good news” in Greek. But the question is – if the Gospel truly is good news, why is it so hard for us to talk about it? 

I’ll rewind a bit and start from the very beginning. For those who have always heard the word Gospel, but never heard the story of the Gospel, here it is:

1. God created us for his glory (Creation). 

2. Therefore, every human should live for God’s glory.

3. Nevertheless, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (the Fall). 

4. Therefore, we all deserve eternal punishment (Hell). 

5. Yet, in his great mercy, God sent his only Son Jesus Christ into the world to provide for sinners the way of eternal life (the Cross). 

6. Therefore, eternal life is a free gift to all who will trust in Christ as Lord and Savior and supreme Treasure of their lives (Salvation). 

John Piper

All that to say, the Gospel is indeed good news. It means eternal intimacy in the presence of God, forgiveness of sins and citizenship in Heaven where there will be no more sorrow or pain – ever. For those of us who have been saved by grace through faith and are living testimonies of the power of the Gospel, we are all vessels of this good news. 

As Isaiah writes in chapter 55, God is proclaiming and promising that the good news he has sent down to earth (salvation through his Son Jesus), will indeed be fulfilled and carried from nation to nation until Jesus returns again. 

As described in verse 10, God sent down Jesus like rain, to water a dry and barren earth. God has promised us that this rain would not leave the earth dry and barren, but that it would be fully watered until it is returned to its original perfect creation. Right now, we are still in the watering phase of God’s plan for creation. The land is still thirsty and in need of the living water, and thankfully, we as Christians know just where to find it. 

Those in Christ are not just blessed with knowing the truth of the Gospel, we are called to share it. As the Jesus’ Great Commission states in Matthew 28: 

Go therefore and make disciples of 
all nations,baptizing them in the 
name of the Father and of the Son 
and of the Holy Spirit, teaching 
them to observe all that I have commanded 
you. And behold, I am with you always, 
to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20

We are vessels of good news and have the refreshing drink our thirsty world is gasping for. Sharing the Gospel may not always be easy, but it is always God’s will for us to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We are a part of God’s redemption story for this world. He uses us, ordinary people, to return to Creation what was robbed by sin. 

I challenge you today to change your perspective from one of fear and hesitation towards sharing the Gospel, to one of joy and anxious anticipation for sharing the good news of salvation. As believers, we exist to serve God – not the other way around. Start today by remembering that God is using you as a divine vessel of good news, created and saved to play an important role in His plan for our world. 

Relish in that promise today. 

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

The Sword of the Spirit

krisshetter

For I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
    the Lord Almighty is his name.
16 I have put my words in your mouth
    and covered you with the shadow of my hand—
I who set the heavens in place,
    who laid the foundations of the earth,
    and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

Isaiah 51:15-16

When we picture warcraft during the United States Revolution we typically envision lines of soldiers from each side marching toward each other.  Here’s a description by the American Battlefield Trust:

“Under normal circumstances, 18th century combat entailed that two armies march toward one another, shoulder to shoulder, and usually in ranks of about three men deep. When the opposing sides were within range, orders were given to halt, present arms, to fire, and then to reload.

After several volleys, one side gained the upper hand, and they would begin to close the distance with the enemy, bayonets lowered. This typically culminated in a full out charge at close quarters; sabers, bayonets, and rifle butts were used to sweep the enemy from the field and claim victory.”

And how did one side get the “upper hand?”  The lines would break down either by death, injury or desertion.  The battle would be won or lost based on who could hold their line the longest.

We Christians have been in a similar battle since the time of Christ.  We link arms in communion and espouse the greatness of God to unbelievers.  We are tasked, by God, to go out into our communities and battle against evil through our works, our testimony, and our telling of the Good News of the gospel.  

However, from my, albeit, limited experience so many of us have chosen to desert our place on the battlefield.  I live in a very liberal state within the United States.  Church and Christians are not valued members of many communities.  In fact, we are frequently described as racist, hateful, bigots because of our adherence to the teachings in the Bible.  And that, I believe causes us to shirk our duties as soldiers for God.  

I know too many people who feel uncomfortable sharing the Word of God.  Some are afraid to even mention their faith in the course of conversations at work.  And yet, it is this responsibility that Jesus gives us.  We are not called to be closet Christians, afraid of what to say, how to say it and when to say it.  God himself promises to put the right words in our mouth at the right time.  We just need to be willing to do the one thing that we are called to do – obey Him.

My BSGs did a study on The Armor of God (Ephesians 6).  What stood out to me is the preparation we are admonished to complete before taking up the final Word of God.

Therefore, put on the full armor 
of God, so that when the day of 
evil comes, you may be able to 
stand your ground, and after you 
have done everything, to stand. 
Stand firm then, with the belt of 
truth buckled around your waist, 
with the breastplate of righteousness 
in place, and with your feet 
fitted with the readiness that 
comes from the gospel of peace. 
In addition to all this, take up 
the shield of faith, with which you 
can extinguish all the flaming arrows 
of the evil one. Take the helmet 
of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, 
which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:13-17

Once we have studied and learned the character and promises of God we need to pray to have Him send us out into the world and speak His words.  Each morning when we rise, we should ask God to place someone in front of us that day to whom He needs to say something.  And be watchful and ready for that moment.  He will give you the words to speak.

Do not merely listen to the word, 
and so deceive yourselves. 
Do what it says.
James 1:22

A few years ago, I held on to that promise of God’s words when my daughter and I were in a great battle.  We were pushing and pulling constantly.  She was off at college and her faith was growing by leaps and bounds thanks to the organization Athletes in Action.  But each time we would talk it would end in a fight or tears.  I finally prayed to God to give me His words to bring this battle to an end.

The mother-daughter battle is a timeless one.

One day as we talked, the Holy Spirit gave me these words to say, “I’m so glad your faith is growing.  I can see that you have learned how to give a lot of grace and forgiveness to your friends and teammates.  I know that I fail you frequently in trying to not hold on too tight to you.  What I’m asking for is some of that same grace and forgiveness.”

God’s words, spoken through me, began our path toward reconciliation.  I just needed to stop trying to speak my thoughts and my desires and instead let God do the heavy lifting.

God needs us to fill our spot on the battlefield line.  He can give us all the tools we need – including the right words to say.  We just need to show up and hold the line.

Join me starting January 11 for my next series! Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help create a vision of you! The words we speak and think and pray have a great impact on our life. We will embark on a journey of praying changes into our lives. New Year’s resolutions have nothing on what God can accomplish when we ask for miracles to transform us!

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

The Promise of Wisdom

krisshetter 
Then the eyes of those who see will 
no longer be closed, and the ears 
of those who hear will listen.
The fearful heart will know and 
understand,and the stammering 
tongue will be fluent and clear.
Isaiah 32:3-4

When I started going to church regularly about 20 years ago, I thought for sure I was the least knowledgeable christian in the sanctuary.  I knew, for certain, that all the hundreds of other church members in attendance certainly knew the Bible inside and out and they had zero questions about what the pastor was saying.  That also meant that there was no way I was going to share my faith with anyone.  I wasn’t even sure what my faith really was all about.  And people might ask me questions.  

This fearful possibility reminds me of that show “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.”  When a contestant was unsure or downright stymied by a question, they could use a lifeline.  My favorite was to “Call A Friend.”  I always wondered what my reaction would be if I was the friend that got called.  I mean, you could be asked any random question and your friend’s chance at a million dollars could be on the line!

If only there were an encyclopedia-type book that was like that lifeline and it gave us answers about God.  You know, a book that would help us gain wisdom about God’s character and His promises.  A sort of history of how God has worked throughout the ages.  If there were such a book then I bet all christians would memorize it from end to end.  Their eyes would be opened to the majesty of God’s authority.  Their hearts would know how He wants the best for us and we would stop being fearful.  We would gain wisdom to be able to fluently and clearly share the Good News about salvation and eternity.  And, of course, we know such a helpful book exists – the Bible.

I have a christian friend who believes the Bible is just “some book written by men.”  And yet we could say the same about our very own selves.  We are in fact created by a man and a woman coming together and creating us.  But that doesn’t negate God’s Holy hand in our creation.  To dismiss the Bible as having been divinely commissioned is truly to dismiss God’s hand in all of creation.  And yes, we can nitpick over the specifics of a word – be it the Greek translation or the Hebrew – but even when we do that we are led to even greater understanding of the Almighty.  He promises that if we take the time to get to know Him, he will bless us tenfold. Ah, there’s that covenant, that agreement.

I spent the first 15 years of my christian life barely cracking open this amazing lifeline to the promises and wisdom of God.  It started when the church I was attending began encouraging us to pick up the pew Bible and start taking notes in it.  Oh, the heresy!  It’s funny now to think how uncomfortable so many people felt taking this action.  

This year, my BSGs have made it a point to select Bible studies which require us to do just that —  actually study the Bible.  We’ve done studies which focused on one chapter in one book (Proverb 31).  We’ve studied 1 & 2 Kings and discovered how much of the land around Jerusalem is still the same today.  And we’ve spent time in studies which take us on a broad spectrum of verses about what God wants from us as believers.  We’ve gnawed and chewed and scribbled in and soaked up our Bibles like never before.  We’ve grabbed a hold of our chance at a priceless prize – the knowledge of God and His unfailing love for us.

The Bible is an amazing, almost magical creation.  It seems to change each time I read it.  I believe when we grasp a Bible lesson, God, like the game show host, brings us up a notch and presents us with more chances to gain wisdom.  We get deeper as we learn not just about the basic words but how the people of that time lived, how the politics of the time were playing out, and the values they held dear.  We get insight when we see the more than 4,000 connections between the Old and New Testaments.

The people of the Bible were at a disadvantage.  We get to see the beginning, middle and end of the entire story.  But so often when the possibility of sharing His Word arises, we look like that contestant who’s been asked about nuclear physics.  

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now 
what I am doing, but later you 
will understand.”
John 13:7

Today is later.  That book on the shelf is God’s promise of wisdom for us.  One of the other lifelines on “Who Wants to be A Millionaire” is called “ask the expert.”  And while it’s good to have christian friends that can be a resource isn’t it nice to know we have an expert waiting to speak to us day and night through His Holy Word?  That sounds like a winning strategy to me.

bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Uncategorized

A Helping Friend

krisshetter

When my youngest daughter and I started working on our relationship I prayed, a lot.  I prayed what to say the first summer she was home from college.  I prayed each time I visited her.  I asked God to put the right words in my mouth at the right time, with the right heart.  I prayed to have my need to feel hurt and offended by her words be taken from me.  I wanted God to change me so dramatically that my daughter could see that change.  She needed to see that I was doing the work on my own issues.  I had two God moments that have stuck with me during that time.  The first was the summer after her freshmen year.  I knew, from my older daughter, that life was going to change at our house.  We would now have four adults living in our home – no children.  And so, I prayed for the right words at the right time.   James has taught us so well that when we rely on God in times of trial that wonderous solutions come to us that we might never have thought.  I prayed that her newfound relationship with Jesus would also guide our conversations.

The last few words in the Book of James is really a summary.  He tells us to take all of the wisdom and expectations of the five chapters and work together for the glory of God.  To help those Christians who wander off God’s track and bring them back into his loving arms.  To guide our children to a life of grace, wisdom and forgiveness.

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James 5:19

Which brings me to the second of those God moments.  My daughter and I were on the phone having yet another tense conversation while she was back at school.  Full of misunderstandings and secret expectations (She has since told me she had long felt I had extremely high expectations of her and she didn’t want to fail me).  I took a breath and prayed for God to speak through me.  I stopped talking.  I started listening.  And finally, the right words came.  

Me: “I have something to ask of you.”

Her: “What?”

Me: “I am working really hard on trusting God to handle a lot of stuff – including my fears and hopes and dreams for you.”

Her: “Uh uh.”

Me: “But I fail, a lot.  I’m very impressed how you give a lot of grace and forgiveness to your friends, coaches, and teachers.  What I’m asking for is that you give me some of that same grace and forgiveness for when I fail.”

Pin drop.  God’s words not only diffused the situation but it called on her to look on her own faith.  It asked her to treat me just like any other Christian to whom she shows love.  It took me out of being “just her mom” to being a person.  God was doing a mighty work in that moment.

On a “back to school” road trip

As Christians we probably have Christian friends.  We might have Christian children and spouses.  We should have the expectation to which James exhorts us, which is to help keep our brothers and sisters on track.  We might cringe at that thinking, again, we don’t want to be judgmental people.  But by relying on our faith and reminding others of their faith helps us all to grow closer to Christ.  It’s that Imperfect Progress my Bible study girls like to talk about.  

What is more worthwhile than saving someone from death and covering a multitude of sin?

Faith That Works

If we are in the mindset that our faith is ours and ours alone, we won’t reach out and bring others to Christ. We won’t help our brethren when they fall. I was in a Bible study group once where a woman stated she had never had a conversation about Christ with someone other than people at her church. She seemed ok with that. It made me sad. I know that God had put multiple people in her life along the way (she was in her 80s) to help do His work. I know that because that is God’s nature.

Every person you meet is providential, not accidental.

Phil Hopper, Pastor, Abundant Life Church

So often we think about going out to foreign countries to share our faith when in our own homes and neighborhoods and schools and play groups and Bunco groups and dinner clubs there are people who need Christ.  There are Christians who need our support.  It’s one thing to gain wisdom from studying His Word and yet another to actually use that wisdom to glorify God.

May we be lumps of salt in the midst of society.

Charles Spurgeon

I like that visual.  To be placed around our neighborhoods and cities for the people to gain something good.  We aren’t to be stockpiling our salt for our own personal use.  We should be anticipating those moments God says, “Here, help my beloved.”

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.

Phillipians 2: 3-4

In other words, if we look at our salvation as a gift from God, we must also share that gift.  We must also share the love and teachings of Jesus.  By using Jesus’ ways as our touchstone, we can guide others along the way.  

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10: 24-25

My daughter now will give me biblically based advice when I am struggling.  She reminds me to lean into and on God.  She gently pushes me closer to Jesus.  I had a older friend, who at the beginning of the Covid19 crisis, I checked in on.  I considered him a leader in our church, a man of strong faith.  He was distraught and depressed. He said to me, “I just can’t see God in any of this to be honest.”  And me, a person who struggles with memorizing any scripture spoke these words back to him: “You must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a boat on the waves of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6) This man of great faith was silent.  And then he said, “Thank you.”

As a Christian, I need my Christian friends and family to remind me of the promises God has made.  I need nudges back toward His light.  I may even need a whack over the head once in a while.  If we choose not to help each other, think of all the opportunities we have missed to glorify Him and the people we will not have helped save from death. And as for my older daughter, I pray every day of my role in bringing her to Christ. More importantly, I pray that a Christian friend of hers will tell her their testimony and invite her on The Way.`