Some students from Core and The Ride (our middle school ministry publicly proclaimed their faith in Christ two Sundays ago!
Congratulations to Trent Burke, Jon and Will Kari, Andy Davis!
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Wednesday, September 28th, 2011A Letter to a Mother Thinking About Aborting Her Baby With a Genetic Disorder
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011A letter from one mother to another who just found out her baby in the womb has ARPKD, a rare genetic disorder of the kidneys that has no cure.
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Emma,
I am so sorry that you received this news. Please know there are hundreds around you who have been in this same or a very similar position. We know the pain that facing this decision brings you. Many others before you have followed the advice of doctors, family, and friends to terminate such a pregnancy. I understand that the decision they make is almost always out of the highest love for their child and a desire to prevent suffering. I want to be very sensitive to that, but to also encourage you to look from a different point of view.
It seems to be a foregone conclusion in our culture that preventing suffering is the highest goal, but I think we lose sight of the fact that sometimes in our lives the greatest blessings come to us after we have gone through the greatest suffering. I was advised to terminate with two of my ARPKD daughters after their 20 week ultrasounds. The following weeks, months, and years have been difficult and even terrifying, but I am so glad that I did not follow my doctors’ advice. Yes, my daughters have suffered to some degree (though I know not as much as many other ARPKD kids do), but their pain and tears have grown them into strong little girls who do not take life or health for granted, and who know how to be thankful for the little things in life. They are more mature, more wise, more grateful, more loving, than so many other children their age who have always had “perfect” lives.
Children with special needs have a way of blessing and inspiring those around them too, in a way that healthy children never could. I know greater suffering probably lies ahead for our girls as we face esophageal bleeds and organ transplantation, but we have talked these things through with our oldest, and if my seven year old daughter can face these things with courage, then perhaps she doesn’t need to be shielded from the suffering, but only equipped to walk through it. Someday my girls will take the faith and the strength that they learned from their sufferings and use it to inspire and bless all those around them. It would have been great loss for all who know them to have ended their lives early.
I know that this is one of the most sensitive and personal topics. I pray that I do not sound judgmental in any way. I only mean to offer hope.
With love,
Katherine Eby
HT: Justin Taylor
Why Don’t We Evangelize? (Post Series on Evangelism; Part 2)
Monday, June 27th, 2011
There are a myriad of reasons why we don’t share the good news about Jesus. Here are some of the more frequent reasons I have heard and also have experienced in my own walk with the Lord. But I wont stop there, at the end of each reason I will provide a couple thoughts to address the certain issue in hopes that these excuses may be cleared from our path of being His messengers.
I AM NOT PERSUASIVE:
- A lot of people think they are horrible salesmen. Many of us have much insecurity about our ability to speak eloquently or persuasively about anything. Many of us have a hard time trying to persuade others to do something as simple as picking one restaurant over another. But this has nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus. Romans 1:16 says that the gospel is the, “power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” This means that God is the one who “persuades” people to cling to Jesus for forgiveness, live and joy. The gospel is not the power of Christians for everyone who believes, it is God’s power. There is much reason to labor in presenting the gospel clearly and applying it with discernment to each and every person, but this doesn’t mean that you are responsible for heart transformation because you don’t have that power. Your job is to proclaim the clear gospel of God’s grace given through Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sinners. Your job is to bring that message and call for a response. You are the messenger and God brings the power. Tell the gospel and Trust the power of God.
I DON’T KNOW ENOUGH:
- As a youth pastor, I hear this one most often and I understand the heart behind it. A lot of people I know have a desire to share the good news about Jesus, but are stopped from actually sharing because they have a fear of not knowing enough. Although the intentions of this excuse are understood, we shouldn’t let it stop us. Wherever we have a lack of knowledge, let us respond with fervent study until we have a general handle on it. Jonathon Edwards once vowed to seek an answer for every theological uncertainty that came to him if his circumstances didn’t hinder. I like that. I agree with that. I urge the same for you. Don’t let a lack of knowledge put your evangelism on hold, but make it an occasion to study whatever it is that your unclear about. This doesn’t mean you have to have an answer for every possible question that may be asked or that you have to have a thorough understanding of all ologies (theology, Christology, etc.), but it does mean that you should meet your lack of knowledge with a sincere response of seeking out God’s Word on the subject. I’ll even help you if you send me a Q&A on whatever it is!
I DON’T KNOW THEIR LANGUAGE:
- This is a legitimate excuse that does make sharing the good news about Jesus very difficult. This is something I have to try and find a way to overcome. My neighborhood has a lot of Spanish speaking people whose response to my greetings don’t go any further than a sweet smile, a nod and them repeating “bueno”. Sometimes I will try to use my skills from high school Spanish only to then reverse the role where I am now the one smiling, nodding and repeating “bueno”. Not speaking the language of other people is definitely a tough obstacle that makes evangelism a lot more difficult. Here are some suggestions. Have a couple gospel tracts in whatever language is prevalent around you and when the opportunity arrives, hand that little sucker out. Just remember, if the person is a Spanish speaker, don’t forget to smile, nod and say “bueno”! Another suggestion is to maybe have a Bible (or gospel tracts or any Christian resource) in whatever language you need and give it as a gift with certain verses or sections highlighted. Also, use the Internet to find resources in the language you need. There are ways around language, just don’t let the language barrier bar the gospel!
I AM AFRAID IT WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS:
- The good news of Jesus is very good only to those admit they are very bad. Always remember that the good news is only good to those who first accept the bad news. Namely, that all men are terrible sinners who have the condemnation and wrath of God hanging over them because of their rebellion and defilement (Romans 3:9-18). This directly attacks the pride of all men and often times severely offends people. Jesus readied His disciples for this when He said, “All men will hate you because of me” (Matthew 10:22). I remember one time when I was sharing the gospel with my old neighbor (he moved away; maybe because of this). He said he was a good guy like I was and that he deserved heaven. I then told him how, compared to God’s perfect righteousness, I wasn’t a good guy at all and that he wasn’t either. He didn’t like that. He told me, in so many words, to shut up. The point is, the gospel offends, but this can’t stop us from sharing it. If we waited for a time to share the gospel so that it doesn’t offend men’s pride, then we’ll never get to it. This doesn’t mean we need to add to the offense of the gospel by condescending language and rude attitudes, but it does mean that when Jesus brings offense to men’s pride, we have to let Him speak. May we have enough love to let Jesus offend men for their good.
I DON’T KNOW NON-CHRISTIANS:
- When we grow in the faith, we tend to have more Christian friends than non-Christian friends. This naturally occurs because of the common love for Jesus, devotion to the family of faith and like-minded mission that God grows in us through the years. However, although we naturally seek the intimate fellowship of other believers, we have to intentionally seek to make ourselves available to non-believers. Jesus demonstrated this beautifully by maintaining intimate fellowship with His 12 disciples and yet making time to be with those who weren’t yet washed in the blood of redeeming love. This could practically work out in many ways. Seek out the people you see on a daily basis. These could be folks in your workplace, your classrooms or your neighborhood. Or think about your common routines throughout the week. Are there places you frequent often? I love to read while drinking coffee. This affection of mine has me frequent the local coffee shop by my house. I like to go there for many reasons. Some being that they have good coffee, nice décor and there a block away. But I also go there often to try and develop relationships with the regulars and the staff in hopes to create opportunities to share the good news about Jesus’ with them. If you don’t know any non-Christians, what are some steps you can take to make yourself available?
To be continued…
What Is Evangelism? (Part 1)
Saturday, June 25th, 2011See the introduction to this series…
Before we briefly explain what evangelism is, it is helpful to speak about what evangelism is not.
WHAT EVANGELISM IS NOT*
EVANGELISM IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL TESTIMONY:
- Personal testimonies are power explanations of what Jesus has done to us through the gospel. They are our story of how God transformed us. They are beautiful, wonderful and much reason for joy and celebration. But testimonies are not necessarily evangelism. The gospel of Jesus is very much implied within the testimony of a Christian and there would be no testimony without the gospel, but that doesn’t mean the gospel is clearly articulated in all testimonies. There is a blind man in John’s gospel who Jesus heals and he regains his sight. He is questioned by the Pharisees about who Jesus was and what He had done and he said, ““Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25). He was healed by Jesus, but he didn’t even know who Jesus was! One can speak about how Jesus had brought them joy and fulfillment and peace without actually speaking about how Christ died on the cross for their redemption and the redemption of all who believe. The point we must see is that telling others what Christ has done in our lives isn’t exactly the message of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of sinners who believe.
EVANGELISM IS NOT SOCIAL ACTION:
- I’ve heard many people quote Saint Francis of Assissi by saying, “Preach the gospel always, and when necessary use words.” This is often said when Christians seek to go out and do good works for others in need. But can we really preach the gospel without words? Can people hear about the message of Jesus Christ and see the need to repent and believe through actions alone? Scripture clearly says no. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” This means that people must hear the message of Christ in order to turn to Him. The gospel is made attractive by our good works (Titus 2:5, 8, 10), but the gospel is not proclaimed by them alone; the gospel is news and news must be told. If all we have is good works toward our fellow man then there is nothing that sets us apart from the well-to-do atheist or the Mormon next door. Do we have works? Yes. Are we command to do good works? Absolutely. But what sets us apart is that our good works come from what Christ has done and in order to know what He has done, it must be explained with words.
EVANGELISM IS NOT APOLOGETICS:
- Apologetics is the defending one’s faith in Jesus, not necessarily proclaiming Jesus as the crucified Savior. You can share the gospel while you are defending the faith. An example I saw of this was when I attended a debate done by William Lane Craig and Christopher Hitchens about whether or not God existed. Craig spent his time in the debate contending that God does exist and countering the arguments (or lack thereof) given by Hitchens. At the close of the debate, I remember Craig giving his conclusion about the existence of God. While concluding, Craig explained that not did God exist, but that He can only be known through Jesus Christ. Craig then presented the gospel and extended an invitation for all listening, including his atheist opponent, to come and find forgiveness in Jesus’ Name. He defended the faith and proclaimed the gospel. Apologetics are important and should be studied, but it is important to understand that defending the faith is not proclaiming the gospel.
EVANGELISM IS NOT FRUIT:
- We cannot mistake sharing the gospel with the fruit of the gospel; evangelism is not people coming to Jesus, it is people proclaiming Jesus. Sometimes Christians mistake evangelism to be bringing people to Jesus. When we think this way we can become discouraged very easily and think we can’t evangelize and that we aren’t good at it since no one accepts the offer to repent and believe in Jesus. People coming to Jesus is not evangelism but it is the fruit of evangelism. If I tell someone about the gospel and call them to repent and believe and they do not accept, rest assured, although no one converted, evangelism happened. Evangelism is not the fruit of converts.
EVANGELISM IS NOT A RELATIONSHIP:
- Oftentimes I hear about the concept of relational evangelism. This idea entails that sharing the gospel should come from the context of a relationship so the message is spoken in sincerity and care and more readily received. Should we share the gospel with those we have relationships with? Absolutely. Should we befriend people for in order to provide opportunities to share the gospel? Yes. Are our relationships evangelism? Not at all. We can be friends with people for decades and never share the gospel with them. Relationships are relationships. You can share the gospel to someone you have a relationship with, but do not mistake the fact of your relationship with a non-believer with the action of evangelism.
*The first four concepts come from Mark Dever’s excellent and short book on evangelism called, “The Gospel and Personal Evangelism” (Crossway; chapter 5
WHAT EVANGELISM IS
- Evangelism is telling others about the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is, telling others about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of all who repent and believe. It is the action of proclaiming the good news about Jesus.
To be continued…
Honestly Talking About Honestly Talking About Jesus
Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
(This post is the beginning of a series on evangelism)
Evangel means, “good news.”
Evangelism means, “sharing of the good news.”
Mind blowing, I know.
Let me begin this series by first admitting this one solemn thing: I suck at evangelism. There have been many times in my life where I have failed to speak of the good news of Jesus when I had the chance. I remember one time when I was asked what I did for work. I told this person I was a youth pastor (of sorts). The person then asked me what that entailed and I simply said, “I teach kids about the Bible.” Guess what I followed that one up with. Nothing. The person waited for more, but I was tired.
Fail…
There have also been times where I did take the opportunity to share the gospel, yet at the end of many of those times I wish I hadn’t. In short, I am just not the best of messengers.
Now that I have laid down my impressive (impressively sad) credentials, I think you will be pleased to know that I intend on writing a few shorts posts on evangelism! My reason for this is simple: the good news is news. News has to be told in order for people to respond to it and we are the ones Jesus has chosen to proclaim this news. Yet although sharing the gospel is the primary mission of Christians, we tend to not be so good at it. So this series is my, very small, effort to help you (my faithful 3 readers) in your quest to be faithful messengers.
I will divide the next posts into these 5 sections: (1) What is Evangelism?, (2) Why Don’t We Evangelize, (3) How Should We Evangelize, (4) What to do After We Evangelized, (5) Concluding Thoughts.
I truly hope this helps you in sharing the really good news about Jesus many times, in many ways for many people.
Reliance
Thursday, March 24th, 2011My Father,
When you are angry towards me for my wrongs I try to pacify you by abstaining from future sin;
But teach me
that I cannot satisfy your law,
that this effort is resting in my righteousness,
that only Christ’s righteousness, ready made, already finished, is fit for that purpose;
that your chastising me for my sin is not that I should try to reform, but only that I may be more humbled, afflicted, and separated from sin, by being reconciled, and made righteous in Christ through faith;
that a sense of my sufficiency and ability in Him is one means of my being immovable;
that I can never be so by resting on my own faith, but by trusting in you as my only support, by faith;
that if I cast away my faith I cast you away, for by faith I apprehend you,
and as you are very precious, so is my faith very precious to me;
that I fall short of the purity you require, because in thinking I am holy I do not seek holiness, or, believing I am powerless, I do no more.
Humble me for not being as holy as I should be, or as holy as I might be through Christ, for you are all, and to possess you is to possess all.
But to make the creature something is to make it stand between you and I, so that i do not walk humbly and holily.
Lord, forgive me for this.
(Valley of Vision, Reliance)
