Willow the Wiccan: Willow's worldview is called Wicca, which is a loosely organized set of beliefs that are rooted in mystical traditions, including but not limited to Celtic or Norse paganism, Greek and Roman goddess worship, ancient Egyptian spirituality, Eastern Shamanism, or even Native American spiritual practices, depending on the group. Willow was attracted to Wicca because of the strong connection she felt with the world around her and in particular with nature. Willow is generally tolerant of other religions, but she does not welcome anyone trying to 'convert' her.
Willow and other Wiccans vary in their beliefs, but the majority of them would hold to the eight beliefs listed below:
- Everyone has the divine (or Goddess) within, and everyone has a 'life-force'. Willow believes in a male counterpart to the Goddess, who could possibly be the Christian God or the God of Islam.
- One should develop natural gifts for divination or occult magic (often spelled 'magick' by occultists.)
- Divine forces or nature spirits are invoked in rituals.
- The Goddess, as either a symbol or a real entity, is the focus of worship.
- Nature and the earth are sacred manifestations of the Goddess.
- Everyone has his or her own individual spiritual path to follow.
- Rituals and celebrations are linked to the seasons and moon phases.
- Meditation, visualization, invocation (calling on forces or gods/goddesses), chanting, burning candles and special rituals trigger a sense of the mystical, which typically reinforces their core belief system.
Things to Remember:
Like Tara the Typical, Willow is extremely sensitive toward anything that sounds intolerant and/or judgmental, so approach with extreme caution! As well, she sees Christianity as an oppressive religion, so be sure and show her love and respect.
Ask Willow what she believes about Christianity, because she might have a distorted image of what Christianity is. Try and use this as an opportunity to help her develop a correct understanding of true Christianity.
Don't confuse Wiccans with witches, because anyone can practice witchcraft, but Wiccans follow a strict code. Also, don't confuse Wiccans with Satanists, because most Wiccans don't believe in Satan or the devil.
Outline the strengths and reliability of the Bible (accuracy, consistency, fulfilled prophecy, etc.) because Willow rejects it as unreliable.
Stress your personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ and what impact that has on your daily life.
Whether Willow knows it or not, she is in the grips of Satan, so like Sid the Satanist, be sure and cover your relationship and conversations with her in a ton of prayer.
Read Matthew 12.
Take a closer look at verses 1-12. In our house, we refer to Sunday afternoon as "Jammy Nap Day." We come home from church, eat lunch, put on our jammies (i.e. PJs, pajamas, etc.) from the night before, crawl into bed and take a nap; and I'm not talking a 15-20 minute nap either...it's more like a several hour, entire family hibernation in our house. Sure we get some flack from our kids from time to time about not being able to go out and play with their friends, or taking a shorter nap or not taking a nap at all, but we rarely budge on this. Hopefully, we're teaching our kids to stop everything, abandon their own desires, and take a day of rest. Later, when they begin to work and take on greater responsibilities as an adult, hopefully they'll remember this valuable principal and continue its adherence.
It's not to say that we CAN'T do other things on this day, or that we SHOULDN'T, just that activities are the exception rather than the rule this one day a week. A day of rest, established by God from the beginning of time (Genesis 2:3), was given for our spiritual and physical well-being. FOLLOW His example. Take some time to rest, relax, rejuvinate, and recharge this week!
Tara the Typical: Tara the Typical holds to the same typical worldview as the majority of Americans. This typical worldview varies some with each individual, but at the core are several commonly held beliefs that were shaped from a variety of sources such as religious background, personal friends, school, entertainment choices (this is a huge factor) and family background.
At the heart of Tara the Typical's worldview is tolerance, individualism, self-expression, self-effort and self-gratification (can you say myspace.com!). Tolerance is the overriding principle that guides everything else in Tara's mind, so she sees all religions, lifestyles, sexual preferences, etc. as equally valuable and valid.
Tara believes it is wrong for any one religion to claim they are the only way to heaven, nirvana, etc., and it is also wrong to judge other people in their lifestyle and choices unless they are really bad. One of Tara's highest values is sincerity - as in it doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere (genuine and honest) in your beliefs. Tara feels that her worldview is what will get her what she wants out of life without hurting others.
Things to Remember:
Warning - Tara is extremely sensitive towards anything that sounds intolerant and/or judgmental, so approach with extreme caution! The best route to take is to first get her to see the inconsistencies and contradictions in her worldview. This is best done by asking penetrating questions like:
- Every major religion contradicts the others on major issues like who God is and how we get to heaven, so how can they all be right?
- If getting into heaven is a matter of being good and sincere, why did Jesus come to earth, die on the Cross, and come back from the dead?
- Osama Bin Laden claims to be a strict Muslim who planned the Two Towers attack partially out of a sincere religious belief called a Jihad. Do we have a right to judge him for that? Will he be in heaven as well?
- There are many areas in the physical life where there are absolute truths, like mathematics and science, so why wouldn't there be absolute truth in the spiritual world?
Also, your personal testimony will be helpful in helping establish the credibility of your message.
Read Matthew 11.
Take a closer look at verse 28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." FOLLOWING Jesus offers freedom and relief from the busyness and heaviness of life.
Some Christians are experts at making nothing happen...and doing that very slowly. Others act as if the work of Christ lies solely only their shoulders. Sometimes, too much of a good thing can still be a bad thing. Both extremes lead to weariness. Every day of your life you'll face demands marked "urgent"; demands that carry the potential to change busyness into weariness and bring spiritual and emotional burnout. But, there is nothing inherently spiritual about busyness. Jesus reserved some of his strongest rebukes for the Pharisees - the spiritual workaholics of the day. They were so busy working for God that they had forgotten to FOLLOW Him.
At the same time, there is nothing inherently sinful about "unproductive" moments, if they are used to refresh and energize you to continue FOLLOWING Christ. Even God, the Creator of the Universe, set aside His work for a day of rest. And the beauty of it all? While you rest, God is at work!
Sid the Satanist: Sid's worldview is called Satanism, which is a religion whose followers worship Satan and/or follow the teaching that he represents. While Satanists vary on their beliefs, you can generally put them into two categories. The first type is composed of those who would consider themselves a part of the Church of Satan or LeVeyan Satanists*. They base their beliefs on the Satanic Bible (written by Anton LaVey). Sid is a part of the second (and more popular) category of Satanist, which we'll call "self-taught" Satanists. Since Sid is "self-taught", he determines the way he'll follow Satan. For example, Sid will perform rituals to conjure up satanic empowerment, and oftentimes have a few friends that participate in these rituals with them. Sid listens to heavy/death metal music that focuses on very dark themes like Satan, murder and graphic sex. Ritual sacrifices of animals (and in extreme cases humans) are sometimes part of the rituals that Sid may engage in. Sid oftentimes looks, acts, and dresses for shock value, so you will see him dress in black and portray a very rebellious attitude. Sid also has a strong hatred of Jesus and any type of organized religion.
*LeVeyan Satanists do not believe in an actual Satan, rather they use the word "Satan" to describe the forces of nature. Their religion primarily revolves around self-gratification, pleasure, and revenge. In terms of their beliefs about God and the Bible, they are atheistic (check the previous entry for "Andy the Atheist").
Sid believes that there is a hidden spiritual dimension that contains the power of the occult (occult means 'hidden') that he can summon and use for his own purposes. Sid believes that Satan lives in this dimension, and can give him power when he prays to him and performs rituals. In fact, one of the main reasons Sid decided to become a Satanist was the power and temporary pleasure it seemed to offer.
Things to Remember:
Sid is not waiting around for someone to share the gospel with him, so you will need to approach him with an incredible amount of love and patience. One way you can show this is to see past the "shock value" lifestyle of Sid to the hurting and trapped individual underneath.
Focus on the true Jesus of the Bible, especially his open contempt for the self-righteous religious leaders of his day so Sid can identify with Christ. Also, talk about John 8:32, where Jesus promised: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Eventually, Sid will (most likely) get to the point where he knows he was duped and now is a slave to the dark spiritual world, so help him understand that he can be set free through the power of Christ.
You should always pray when witnessing to anyone, but this scenario really needs to be covered in prayer. You are attempting to rescue someone from the grips of Satan. Keep in mind that he doesn't let go of his converts easily. Put on your spiritual armor (Ephesians 6) and prepare for a battle!
Read Matthew 10.
Think for a moment about the most valuable thing you own. As a teenager, maybe it's your computer or an iPod or your car? As an adult, maybe it's your car or your house or other financial investments... Think about what that "thing" is really worth to you. What would you be willing to give it up for? I have this theory that any "thing" can be bought for a price. From the finest automobiles to the rarest gems. "Things" can be bought. And, "things" can be replaced.
So, is anything priceless? Absolutely! Time, love, personal relationships, life experiences...all "things" that cannot be bought. Oh, they can be enhanced with "things", and, to some extent, improved upon with money, but they can't be bought or sold. How much would you sell that time you played catch with your dad in the backyard for? How much would you sell that time you did some baking with your mom in the kitchen for? How much would you sell your last few moments with your grandmother for just before she died?
Parents, how much would you sell your kids for? I'll tell you what: you can't buy my kids! (Now, I might let you "rent" them for a while... :)) $1M? $1B $1T? NO WAY? They're worth more to me an any possession. In fact, they're worth more to me than my own life. What would you be willing to give your own life for? Given the choice between my kids' lives and mine, I'd give myself up without hesitation or a second thought. They are priceless to me.
Take a closer look at verses 29-31. Jesus is saying here that not a single sparrow falls dead to the ground without God knowing it. He knows the very number of hairs on your head. How much more do His "children" mean to Him than a dead bird or a hair count? Christ-FOLLOWERS, His children, are of immeasurable worth to Him. God values you, your special abilities and personal needs. He desires your love and companionship so much that He was willing to give up His own Son to make that happen. As a child of His, you are never separated from His presence, care and concern. He knows all of your needs, difficulties and sorrows. You are so important to God that He treasures your faithfulness, love and loyalty above all earthly things. Your unwavering faith in Christ, which is proven through times of intense difficulty and trouble, is priceless to Him and brings Him great honor. Remember that today!
In the famous words of the great theologian, Bob the Tomato, "God made you special and he loves you very much."
Ryan the Religious: Ryan has a religious view of the world, which means he has a strong built-in sense of right and wrong, and strictly follows a set of standards that he believes will earn him spiritual reward here on earth and heaven when he dies. Ryan also tends to carry around an "I'm spiritually superior to you" attitude because he believes that good works are the key to religion. Ryan believes that by believing in certain creeds or statements of beliefs, and by strictly engaging in certain religious behaviors, he will be on God's "nice" list, while those who aren't religious are on God's "naughty" list. He has been raised with this since day one, which is why religion and good works are such a key part of his life. Ryan also believes that religion is a combination of faith and good works that will one day get him into heaven. Ryan believes in an afterlife where there is a heaven and hell, and that which place you end up is determined by how religious you were here on earth. Ryan believes that salvation is "earned" by believing and behaving the right way. Ryan is not absolutely sure he'll make it into heaven, but he hopes that his good deeds will outweigh his bad deeds.
Things to Remember:
Ryan carries around a pretty strong dose of pride and self-righteousness, so focus on the 10 commandments and how all of us have broken them. One good illustration of this is to use the example of the religious person who only sinned a mere 3 times per day. While that seems good, when you add it up it becomes very bad. Three sins a day is over a thousand sins a year, and if he lives to be in his 80's, he will have sinned over 80,000 times!
Talk about how one lie will keep us out of heaven (Revelation 21:8), so the standard for getting into heaven is absolute perfection. Deep down Ryan knows he is not perfect, so talk about how Jesus lived a perfect life, which is why he is the only one who could pay the price for our sin.
In Philippians 3:4-12, Paul goes into detail about how he once depended on his "religion" to please God, but after he trusted Christ, he saw all those things as trash. If Paul saw religion in that light, what should that teach us? Also, talk about what Jesus meant when he said "it is finished" on the cross. That phrase actually means "paid in full".
Read Matthew 9.
Sometimes I wonder if we have the wrong types of friends. It's not that we don't like the ones we have, in fact, that may be the problem. We DO like the friends we have. Most of them are safe, Jesus-loving, church people that share some of our same intersts and passions which is why we like to hang out with them and call them friends. But, what if we hung out with people that made us uncomfortable, people that don't necessarily love Jesus, people that don't like the things we like and don't do the things we do? Afterall, isn't that what Jesus did?
Take a closer look at verses 11-13. If we're to FOLLOW Jesus' example, perhaps we should hang out with, have dinner with and associate with people who do not yet know and FOLLOW Him, so as to be a good example to them, demonstrating the way of salvation. Think about it! Who do you hang out with? Why?
NOTE: At no time should a Christ-FOLLOWER date or marry someone who is not a committed Christian; sometimes referred to as "Missionary Dating." (See 2 Corinthians 6:14).
Nicole the New Ager: The New Age is not new. Tenants of New Age doctrine have been a part of human history since Satan in the form of a snake deceived Adam and Eve in the garden with the promises of godhood. Although those in the New Age movement vary in their particular doctrines and practices (because it is not one centrally organized religion) they do have some common core beliefs.
- New Agers believe that the world is poised to explode into a New Age of enlightenment. They are convinced that this 'new world order' will be united under a one world government and initiated by a quantum leap in humanity's spiritual evolution. They see the next step of evolution as people becoming 'gods'.
- New Agers believe in Monism. Monism means 'oneness'. New agers believe that we are all one with each other and the universe. We are all connected by the common cord of the cosmos.
- New Agers do not believe in a personal God. They believe that the totality of all the 'oneness' in the cosmos can collectively be called 'god'. Some call it 'the force'. Others call it 'consciousness'. But by any label it is the deification of the universe and everything in it. That's why the famous New Ager Shirley MacLaine boldly proclaimed, "I am God." She believes that as part of this cosmic consciousness, she is god and so are you and me.
- New Agers believe that the New Age must be experienced to be transformational. Through meditation, drugs, yoga, martial arts, or cosmic experiences, the goal of the New Ager is to become one with the universe. The goal is a state of mind that is at peace with oneself and at one with one's universe.
- In the New Age movement morals are subjective. Since there is not an external objective standard of authority when it comes to behavior then you are free to create your own moral reality. The New Age encourages its participants to experiment and experience their own morals on their journey toward oneness.
- New Agers are convinced that all the power of the universe is available to every person. The more that we can know the god within us the more we can unleash the cosmic force to achieve the unachievable (ESP, telepathy, out of body experiences, and psychokinesis [moving or manipulating objects with our minds] are all evidence of their belief in unlimited human potential).
- New Agers believe that there is an army of spirit guides, extraterrestrials, and entities who are seeking to communicate to humans through mediums or channelers. These channelers are humans who are in touch with the cosmic consciousness and are used by these spirit guides to communicate universal truth to others. Of course, this opens the spiritual door to extreme demonic influence.
- New Agers believe that UFO's and those who have had extraterrestrial encounters prove that there is not only life on other planets, but that these more evolved species have much to teach us. Think Sci-Fi channel on steroids!
- New Agers believe in "Religious Syncretism." This is a fancy term meaning that New Age spirituality is a rather eclectic grab bag of Eastern mysticism, Western occultism, neopaganism, and human psychology. Many New Agers claim to be Christian-although they define it completely different from Christianity. Most Americans today are New Age in at least some areas of their belief system. The whole concept of "it doesn't matter what you believe, it only matters that you believe," flows from the New Age belief system.
Things to Remember:
When talking to Nicole, remember that you are entering a huge spiritual battle, so put on the full armor of God, and remember that the enemy is Satan, not Nicole (Ephesians 6). Also, don't stereotype Nicole and assume every New Ager is the same...they aren't. Every New Ager is different, so take some time and find out what she thinks.
After finding out what she thinks, be sure and clearly define your terms. For example, when Nicole speak of 'Christ consciousness' she refers to a mystical state of 'enlightenment'. In other words, she doesn't mean we should trust Christ for salvation, she means we can become like Christ and make our own 'salvation'.
Finally, point out common ground with Nicole (common belief in the spiritual world, etc.) and focus on the claims of Christ as the "way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
Read Matthew 8.
Take a closer look at the first four verses. After healing a man with leprosy, Jesus utters some peculiar words: "See that you don't tell anyone." I can only imagine what this man was thinking. "Seriously? Don't tell anyone that I was just healed from a skin disease that at this time is incurable; a disease that caused me to be banned and segregated from the rest of society? Don't tell anyone?! You must be kidding!" I have to admit, it doesn't seem right to me either. But, just because it doesn't make sense to you and me, doesn't mean that Jesus didn't have very good reason for saying it.
There are a number of reasons Jesus may have given this command. He may not have wanted people to focus solely on His miracles. He may not have wanted the publicity of His miracles getting in the way of His teaching. Timing is everything. He may not have wanted to raise additional opposition to His ministry (which might have prematurely lead to His death) before He had completed His mission.
Proverbs 3:5-12 says, "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." (MSG) Regardless of His reasoning or the limit of our own understanding, we must FOLLOW His commands without question. As the song says, "Where you lead me I will FOLLOW, I'm trusting in what you say."[vimeo 7269557]
Mo the Muslim: Mo the Muslim belongs to the religion called Islam (which means 'way of submission'). His beliefs are based on the teachings of a book called the Koran (Quran), which the prophet Mohammed (the founder of Islam) claimed was dictated supernaturally to him in 610 A.D. by the angel Gabriel. Mo's religion is the second largest in the world and claims to have one billion followers. Mo goes to "church" (called a Mosque) every Friday to pray to God. In a mosque during prayer time, Mo and all the other Muslims face east towards the city of Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, where Mohammed had his vision from Gabriel.
Mo believes Islam is the only true religion, and he is radically committed to his faith. At the core of Islam are seven fundamental beliefs that Mo and every Muslim must accept as a part of his/her religion. The seven are:
- Belief in God (who, in Arabic, is named 'Allah').
- Belief in the angels (both good and evil).
- Belief in the revealed Books of God.
- Belief in God's many prophets (including Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and other Christians and Jews are familiar with).
- Accepting that there will be a Last Day/Final Judgment.
- Belief in the divine measurement of human affairs.
- Belief in life after death.
Just like Hari the Hindu, Mo's beliefs affect every part of his life including how he spends his time, what he eats, and even the types of friends he chooses.
Things to Remember:
Like Hari the Hindu, Mo is coming from a radically different way of looking at the world, so your early witnessing efforts should consist of mainly listening and getting a feel for where he is coming from. So first, be a friend. Muslim cultures place a high value on friendships and time spent visiting with friends. Many Muslims have not had the opportunity to develop a close friendship with a Christian. One way to do this is to invite him to your home. Mo places a high value on hospitality, and you would not leave his home without being offered something to drink, no matter how short the visit. Do the same with him, and be sure and ask beforehand about any dietary restrictions.
Mo's religion is inseparably tied to his family and culture, so be sensitive to the fact that if he rejects Islam, his family and culture will reject and perhaps even plot to kill him. What this means is that Mo has to carefully weigh all the consequences of trusting Christ, so give him time and make sure you don't make trusting Christ sound flippant.
Stick to the common themes where Islam and Christianity meet, like Jesus and the Bible. Use those themes to introduce Mo to the truth about them, like the claims of Christ, his death and resurrection, and the Bible being the inspired word of God.
Mo's view of God (Allah) is one of anger and demand. Use your own testimony as a way to show how it is possible to have a personal relationship with the personal God of the universe (Yahweh) who loves and forgives unconditionally on the basis of Christ's death and resurrection.
Read Matthew 7.
Take a closer look at Matthew 7:7-8. Jesus encourages perseverance - active patience, persistence, determination - in prayer, not because He is reluctant to answer our requests, but because it allows us to express our trust and dependence on Him, which is the basis of powerful and effective faith. The tense of the Greek verbs in verse 8 implies an ongoing action. As if to say, "For everyone who [keeps on asking] receives; he who [keeps on seeking] finds; and to him who [keeps on knocking], the door will be opened." I think the same could be said of FOLLOWING. "For everyone who keeps on FOLLOWING..."
A similar passage of scripture is found in Luke 11. One phrase that really stands out there in the New Living Translation: "if you knock long enough." How many of us give up asking/seeking/knocking/FOLLOWING too soon? It's not that we have to beg God to answer our prayers; He could certainly answer them BEFORE we even ask. I think that God wants to see our persistence. He wants us to acknowledge a sincere dependence on Him. What if we give up too soon? What will we miss?
What if the Israelites had stopped marching around Jericho on the sixth day (Joshua 6)? What if Naaman had only dipped in the Jordan river six times (2 Kings 5)? What if Elijah had stopped praying for rain on top of Mt. Carmel on the sixth attempt (1 Kings 18)? They would have forfeited the miracle. Instead, they kept FOLLOWING God's directions. I love the underlying message of those stories: the miracle is only one lap, one dip, or one prayer away! We need to live with that kind of holy anticipation!
Try harder. Try longer. Don't give up. Don't give in. Keep FOLLOWING. If you FOLLOW long enough...
Marty the Mormon: The official name of the Mormon Church today is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Joseph Smith founded the Mormon Church when he was 24 years old, in the state of New York on April 6, 1830. It was originally named the Church of Christ , but the name was changed in 1834 to the Church of the Latter Day Saints. In 1838 it received its current name. The official LDS web site lists the December 31, 2004 worldwide church membership at 12,275,822. At the beginning of 2005, there were approximately 5,599,177 LDS members in the United States and approximately 6,676,645 members outside of the USA. Most of those outside of the USA are in Latin American countries.
Marty believes that the Church of Latter Day Saints is the one and only true church on earth. He believes that the church became utterly corrupt soon after the Apostles, so God decided to restore the true church through Joseph Smith. Because of this, Marty believes all other denominations (Baptist, Lutheran, etc.) are false churches (in other words, not following God).
Things to Remember:
Marty may not be aware of the Mormon church's official doctrine, so be sure to ask him detailed questions about what he believes. Don't get distracted with trying to prove you are right unless you believe it will help get Marty closer to trusting Christ.
Marty may use the words and phrases that sound Biblically true (Jesus Christ, Son of God, salvation by faith, etc.), but actually mean something entirely different. Because of this, it is critical that you make sure you mean the same thing. For instance, if Marty says, "I am trusting in Christ for my salvation," you can ask these questions: "What do you mean by salvation?" or "How do you define Jesus?" or "Are you trusting in Christ alone for your salvation?"
Read Matthew 6.
I know I tend to draw attention to the order of events or the order of which things need to be done, especially when it comes to scripture, but it's important for us to understand that there's an order that we must FOLLOW. Take a closer look at Matthew 6:25-33.
This is a classic passage of scripture where Jesus is saying, "don't worry about the everyday things. I will take care of you." But, it's important that we "FIRST [note the order] seek the Kingdom of God." If we seek the Kingdom of God FIRST, then we don't need to worry about the everyday things in life. However, if that's not our top priority, there is plenty to worry about.
When it comes to FOLLOWING, order is important. If you put yourself first, you're not FOLLOWING. Positionally, think about where you are in relation to Christ. Are you ahead Him/where He wants you to be? Do you picture yourself walking side-by-side? Or, are you truly FOLOWING Him?
Jordan the Jehovah's Witnesses: The Jehovah's Witnesses were started in the early 1870's, by a man named Charles Taze Russell. Jehovah's Witnesses identify themselves as Christian and number over six million. Their name comes from their belief that God's personal name is Jehovah. They are also called The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, mainly because one of their primary missions is to go door-to-door and hand out millions of Jehovah's Witnesses versions of the Bible and various informational tracts.
Like Marty the Mormon, Jordan believes her religion (Jehovah's Witnesses) is the only true religion, and all other religions and Protestant denominations (Baptist, Lutheran, etc.) are false. This is why they are so aggressive and go door-to-door trying to convert others to their view of God.
Things to Remember:
Remember that you are not trying to convert Jordan to a different belief system or even defending your own. Rather, you are trying to help her understand that salvation comes through a relationship with Jesus, not through a religion. Ask Jordan questions that will introduce doubt in her mind about her knowledge of Christianity and the integrity of her church's leadership like: Can someone be saved without being a Jehovah Witness? If so, then how were people saved before the organization was formed? If I were examining Mormonism or another belief, would it be a good idea to read testimonies from ex-members? (This puts them in a quandary, because if they say, "No," show how easy it is to be deceived by a cult that you haven't fully examined. If they say, "Yes," then ask them why they haven't read books by ex-members of the Watchtower).
Remember when asking questions about her beliefs, it's better to leave the questions "third person" (or hypothetically apply them to yourself) rather than applying them directly to Jordan, or her organization. Instead of saying, "Does your organization...?" you might say, "What if an organization...?" or "What if I...?" This approach may help her be less defensive.
Remember that while God opposes Jordan's belief system, He loves her, so be gentle and respectful at all times. Jordan may be deeply entrenched in her false beliefs, so be open to developing a long term relationship if you want to be effective.
Read Matthew 5.
Beginning in Matthew 5, and extending through Matthew 7, we find Jesus' longest recorded sermon, otherwise known as the Sermon on the Mount. Having just spent a considerable amount of time in our youth Christian Education class (see previous blog posts) discussing the Beatitudes, today I'd encourage you to take a closer look at verses 17-20. This also comes at a good time as Matthew is a book written specifically to the Jews, and today's Online Missions Trip entry had to do with witnessing to Jews.
The "Law" Jesus refers to here is the first five books of the Old Testament. The "Prophets" part refers to other books of the Old Testament. Together, "the Law of the Prophets" encompasses the whole Old Testament - which outlines God's means of maintaining a relationship with mankind before he sent Christ to fulfill his ultimate plan of Salvation. Consider the following:
- The law that Christ's FOLLOWERS are obliged to keep consists of the moral and ethical prncipals of the Old Testament, AS WELL AS the teachings of Christ and the apostles (i.e. the pioneers and leaders of the early church who wrote many of the New Testament books.)
- Christ's FOLLOWERS must not view the law as a system of legal commands and rules by which we can earn forgiveness and spiritual salvation.
- Faith in Christ is the starting point of fulfilling God's law.
- Because of their faith in and love for Christ, His FOLLOWERS want to live by His laws and standards.
- Having been freed from slavery to sin, Christ's FOLLOWERS willingly choose to submit to God's control.
- Jesus emphatically taught that, as an ongoing condition of entering the kingdom of heaven, we must do His Father's will (i.e. what God desires, intends and purposes for us.) In other words, we must truly FOLLOW Him.
Jenna the Jew: As a Jew, Jenna's worldview is a religion called Judaism. Judaism is over 3500 years old and has approximately 15 million followers worldwide. It is one of the oldest religions on earth, and was started by the Biblical character Moses when he gave them the law God revealed to him. Jenna believes that the God who created the world established a covenant (a binding agreement - sort of like a contract) with the Jewish people. She believes God revealed his laws and commandments to the Jews in what they call the Torah - which is the same as the first five books of the Bible (Genesis-Deuteronomy). Jenna is devoted to studying and obeying the laws and commandments written in the these books.
Jenna believes that Judaism is the one true religion because God personally spoke to Moses and gave him the law and commandments that people in Judaism follow. Although there are differences of opinions about the exact way Judaism should be followed, a leader in Judaism known as "Rambam" (who lived over 1000 years ago) summed up Judaism in 13 beliefs:
- God exists.
- God is one and unique.
- God doesn't have a body.
- God is eternal.
- Prayer is to be directed to God alone.
- The words of the prophets are true.
- Moses was the greatest prophet, and his prophecies are true.
- The Torah was given to Moses.
- There will be no other Torah.
- God knows the thoughts and deeds of men.
- God will reward the good and punish the wicked.
- The Messiah will come. (NOTE: Jenna does not believe in the Trinity revealed in the Bible. Jnna believes Jesus was a teacher, but no more than that.)
- The dead will be resurrected.
Things to Remember:
Jenna does not like to be stereotyped with others from her religion, so ask a ton of questions to learn where she is coming from like: Does she attend synagogue? What happens at Passover? Why doesn't she offer sacrifices today? How does she find forgiveness since the destruction of the temple? What does she believe about the coming of Messiah? How will she recognize him when He comes?
Jenna has been raised with little knowledge about Jesus Christ, so when you feel it could be appropriate, talk about how Jesus literally and perfectly fulfilled over 300 prophecies made about the coming Messiah. Ask Jenna to read Isaiah 53 and ask her who she believes that Bible passage is describing.
Whenever possible, use Scripture to answer Jenna's questions. If you get asked something you don't know the answer to, ask Jenna for some time and then do some research.
Your main goal is not to persuade Jenna that Jesus is the Messiah - it is a means to an end, and that end is that she needs to see that she fails to keep God's Law. It is not good enough for her to do her best; God requires perfection, so you need to get Jenna to the point where she knows that God will not overlook her failures or forgive her on the basis of their mitzvot (good deeds). Show her that God requires the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin (Leviticus 17:11; 16:15-17, 27, 30), which was why the Messiah (Jesus) came to earth 2000 years ago.
Read Matthew 4.
Take a closer look at verses 2-3. "After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, [Jesus] was hungry." You don't say! "[Satan] came to [Jesus] and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." There are a couple of things here we should pay close attention to. First, Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. That's a long time. By general rule of thumb, one can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. Obviously, that's not always true. Plenty of poeple suffocated in less than 3 minutes, dehydrated in less than three days suffered malnutrition in less than three weeks. Likewise, plenty of people have survived longer without air, water and food. Many people, like Jesus, have done 30-40 day fasts. So, it's not impossible. And, it didn't require a miracle to accomplish. Still, He was, no doubt, very hungry at the end of that time period.
Notice, THAT is when Satan came to tempt Jesus. When he was most vulnerable. When He may not have been thinking clearly. When everything in His earthly body was screaming, "YOU MUST EAT NOW!" In the same way, that is when Satan tempts us. When we are most vulnerable. Maybe when we're tired or not thinking clearly. When our emotions are at a peak. When he knows that everything in our earthly body is screaming, "DO THIS!" That is when He comes along and say, "Try this. It's OK. It won't hurt you. Just this once..."
In those moments, we need to FOLLOW Jesus' example and resist the devil. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." There is an order there that must be FOLLOWED. FIRST, we must submit to God. SECOND, we must resist the devil. If we don't FOLLOW step 1, we CAN'T follow step 2. Know the Word. Meditate on it. Use it in resisting "the tempter" this week.
Hari the Hindu: Hari's worldview called Hinduism is a religion that actually originated in Europe over 3000 years ago with a group of people called Aryans who migrated to India and spread their religion there. Since then, it has grown to over 800 million worldwide, with over one million in the United States. While there is no "official" statement of beliefs in Hinduism, Hari and other Hindus have a core of common beliefs that revolve around the impersonal nature of the universe and what impact that should have on our lives. Basically, Hari believes in a supreme but impersonal god called Brahmam, and all the other gods in Hinduism are extensions of the god Brahma. Hari also believes that the universe and all things in it (including all people) are extensions of Brahmam, which is why he also calls the universe Brahman. Because of this, the goal of existence is to eventually get to the point where you lose your "self" (because that is just an illusion) and become one with Brahman.
Hari believes Hinduism is the only true religion, and his beliefs affect every part of his life from how he spends his time, what he eats, and even the types of friends he chooses. Hari is also motivated to share his 'faith' with others because he firmly believes Hinduism is the only true path to peace. Hari believes all people are trapped in a cycle of reincarnation and karma, which means once you die, you are born again as a plant, animal, or person, depending on how good or evil you were in the previous life. Hari believes there are three ways to break this cycle:
The first "way of works" is the attempt to purify one's soul by the careful devotion/obedience to all the laws and obligations of the Hindu scriptures (called "Vedas").
The second way is called the "way of knowledge". It is the opposite of the way of works and teaches the total rejection and denial of one's individual life and instead seeks salvation in a mystical realization of identity with Brahman.
The third way is by far the most popular; it is the "way of devotion". According to this point of view, if one commits oneself totally to the worship of a particular god or goddess, that deity will then take care of all the details as far as releasing you from the reincarnation/karma cycle. The way that works is if I devote myself completely to Krishna, then Krishna will take care of my karma problems and usher me into oneness with him when I die.
So Hari believes one is saved from karma and reincarnation by following one of the three ways, and the result will be a state of bliss in union with "god".
Things to Remember:
Hari is coming from a radically different way of looking at the world, so your early witnessing efforts should consist of mainly listening and getting a feel for where he is coming from. Don't assume all Hindus believe the same thing, because they don't. Also, it is key that you figure out which "way of salvation" they have chosen, because this will help you customize your witnessing efforts.
Focus on Jesus being the only way to heaven, and be sure you define your terms clearly so Hari doesn't just think of a Hindu equivalent to what you are saying (like "salvation", "God", etc.)
One thing that Hari has in common with all other Hindus is a need for peace. Since Hari believes he is stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of death and rebirth, peace seems almost impossible. A good verse to use in this area is Matthew 11:28 where Jesus makes this promise: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Use your own testimony as a way to show how it is possible to have a personal relationship with the personal God of the universe.
Read Matthew 3.
John the Baptist was definately a FOLLOWER of Christ. Even before Christ came, John was proclaiming that He would and that people should repent. By taking a closer look at John's life, I think we get a pretty clear picture of what a Christ-FOLLOWER looks like:
FAITH: John's whole life centered around his belief that a Savior was coming. He staked everything he had on it; his clothes, his speech, his popularity, his image, even his future - he was later beheaded for his faith (14:1-12). Not that we have to wear camel's hair, eat locusts and wild honey, but how does your image reflect your being a Christ FOLLOWER? Do the things you say reflect Christ? Are you more concerned about your popularity than you are sharing Christ with your friends? How will your future be shaped by your faith?
FRUIT: John pointed out that righteousness comes from a showing of fruit in keeping with repentance. In spiritual terms, to "produce fruit" implies showing outward evidence of true inward faith through obvious growth in character, compassion and godly behavior. If we have truly committed ourselves to FOLLOWING Christ, our lives will show evidences of His influence.
FIRE: John was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb (Luke 1:41). Later, on the day of Pentecost, there were what seemed like tongues of fire that came to rest on all who were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). John teaches that the work of the Messiah will involve baptizing (i.e. immersing, empowering) his FOLLOWERS with the Holy Spirit and fire. This baptism would provide great spiritual power and enthusiasm to FOLLOW Christ and spread His message. We need the fire of God to truly FOLLOW Christ.
Erin the Evolutionist: Erin calls herself an atheistic evolutionist because she believes the human race evolved from less complex life forms as a result of random mutations over millions of years. Erin also believes that the either universe has always been around, or came about as a result of a huge cosmic "bang". Atheistic evolutionists believe there was no Supreme Being or Intelligent Designer involved in the development of human life. Theistic evolutionists believe an Intelligent Designer played some role in the origin of human life.
Things to Remember:
If someone says they believe in evolution, it doesn't necessarily mean they don't believe in God. Erin believes in atheistic evolution, which means evolution that happened completely by chance. There are also Christians who believe God used the process of evolution to create life. They are called Theistic evolutionists.
Your goal is not to disprove evolution, because a person can believe in evolution and be a Christian. Because of this, don't get into endless debate about whether we evolved from lower life forms. It is a much more effective strategy to get to the place where you have a discussion about how both evolutionists and Christians are exercising some measure of faith in their view of where life came from.
Like Alisha the Agnostic, talk to Erin about the observable evidence of God that is built in to creation like how "fine tuned" the universe is to support life, otherwise we wouldn't even exist. This fine tuning simply could not have happened by accident. For example, the earth is the perfect distance from the sun. If it were just a few miles closer, we'd all burn up. A few miles further out, and we'd all freeze to death!
Also like Alisha the Agnostic, try to work what is called "Paschal's Wager" into the conversation - which goes something like this: It makes more sense to believe in God than to not believe. If you believe, and God exists, you will be rewarded in the afterlife. If you do not believe, and He exists, you will be punished for your disbelief. If He does not exist, you have lost nothing either way.
If they ask questions like: "how do you know which God?" - focus on the claims of Christ as being the only way and his proving it by coming back from the dead. Remember to bring this up as a conversation starter, and not as an intimidating threat.
Bottom line with an evolutionist: (and anyone else, for that matter) You cannot argue someone to faith in Christ, but you can (and should) live such a Christlike life that those around you sense something different, which opens the door for you to explain the "evidence."
Read Matthew 2.
Take a closer look at Matthew 2:13-14. FOLLOWING Christ requires an immediate response. Notice when the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said to "get up and go", Joseph didn't hesitate. Seemingly, he didn't ask any questions, he didn't hit the snooze button and wait until morning, he didn't take time to analyze the situation and make a "rational" decision, he didn't "pray about it"; he got up, in the middle of the night, and went immediately. God did not protect Joseph and Mary and their child without their cooperation. Protection required immediate obedience to God's directions, which in this case involved fleeing the country.
FOLLOWING Christ's baptism in Matthew 3, God immediately responded (3:16-17). When Christ called the first disciples to FOLLOW Him they dropped what they were doing and FOLLOWED Him immediately. How do we depend on others to respond immediately? (e.g. firefighters, policemen, etc.) Who depends on us to respond immediately? What hesitations do you have in FOLLOWING Christ? What things do we allow to distract us from an immediate response?
Understand this, God may allow some things into our lives that are hard to understand so that we can learn some valuable lessons and so that He can accomplish His purposes in unexpected ways. We still must respond immediately, without hesitation. Christ began His life as a refugee and stranger in another country. To our limited understanding, it would have been easier if God had removed Herod immediately, avoiding the escape to Egypt and all the difficulty involved with getting there. If Joseph thought this, it didn't affect his response. It's also important to know that even after one situation is resolved, there may be other problems to face. God's protection, guidance and care for His FOLLOWERS is always necessary because our spiritual enemy never ceases the attack.
Bailey the Buddhist: Buddhism is an Eastern religion which revolves primarily about suffering. Its founder is named Siddhartha Guatama (later called the "Buddha" - where we get Buddhism from). He was born nearly 600 years before Christ. At some point in his young life he decided to travel the country, and when he did he became troubled by all the suffering of the common people. He desperately wanted to do something about all the pain he saw, so he studied the Hindu scriptures under their priests, but decided that was not the way to help. Eventually he stopped praying to the Hindu "gods" and decided to become a homeless person and survive essentially by begging. During the years that followed, he dove completely into self-denial and meditation, and decided that this practice would lead to peace and help with suffering. He also believed that through self-denial and meditation, a person could eventually achieve a god-like state of "Nirvana". He then decided that his mission in life was to spread his message wherever he went, at which point he became known as the "enlightened one" or the "Buddha". Bailey is not alone. There are an estimated 613 million Buddhists worldwide; and 1 million in the United States.
What Bailey believes about Buddhism can be summed up in what are called the "Four Noble Truths"
- There is pain and suffering in the world.
- Attachment to people and things causes suffering.
- The suffering will stop when a person can rid him/her self of all desires.
- There is a path to the extinguishing of all desires.
Note: Buddha never considered himself to be a god, or a divine being of any type. He basically viewed himself as a person showing others "the way" to enlightenment. Bailey doesn't consider Buddha to be a god either.
Things to Remember:
Remember that Bailey is coming from an extremely different worldview, so totally avoid "Christianese" terms such as "new birth", or even "born again". Some good alternatives that they could better relate to would be terms like "endless freedom from suffering, guilt, and sin", and "gift of eternal good life without suffering". Also, focus on the uniqueness and unique claims of Jesus - especially His resurrection and teaching that He was the only way to God (John 14:6). Ultimately, you want to get the conversation to the point of sharing the gospel, so don't get too sidetracked with confusing Buddhist beliefs. Try to work your own gospel journey story, especially as it relates to your freedom from guilt and assurance of heaven in the midst of suffering.
Bottom line with a Buddhist: As always, remember that you are in a spiritual battle, so put on your spiritual armor (Ephesians 6) and pray without stopping!
In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and FOLLOW me.” In a world where our students are pulled in so many directions to FOLLOW this or to FOLLOW that, FOLLOWING Christ can be difficult. Our theme this year for TwentyEight is “FOLLOW”.
“TwentyEight” represents the 28 days of February, during which we will be encouraging our students to read one chapter of Matthew and pray every day. 28 Chapters. 28 Days. There will be daily blog messages to encourage this, students will be encouraged to memorize a weekly memory verse and attend all of our youth services. All of the youth messages in February will center around the book of Matthew, and we’ll be conducting a special “Underground” Bible study each week in Sunday School. We’re also partnering with other youth ministries in our section, and on Sunday night, February 28, we will be having a final celebratory Youth Service in South Sioux City, NE.
Now, Day 1. Read Matthew 1. I know, a list of names. Not the most exciting reading you've ever done, I'm sure. Don't skip over it! While Mark's Gospel was written for the Romans and Luke's Gospel for Theophilus and other Gentiles, Matthew's Gospel was written specifically for the Jewish believers. Therefore, it was very important for him to link Jesus to the prophecies of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. Although Joseph was not Jesus' biological father, he was his legal father, and God had promised that the Messiah would be a decendant of Abraham and King David. By tracing Jesus' legal ancestry back to those two men, Matthew demonstrates to the Jews that Jesus had the proper family history to qualify as the Messiah. In the first three and a half chapters of Matthew, the phrase, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet," or some similar expression, occurs no less than five times!
Also note the types of people mentioned in Jesus' family line. Judah. Rahab. David. Manasseh. Several have major failures in their past, yet they represent the broad range of people who put their faith in God and become part of His family. They also serve as examples of how God can work his highest purposes through anyone - regardless of their background and failures - who ultimately submits to FOLLOWING Him.
Andy the Atheist: Andy does not have a "god belief." This is important to remember, because it's not that Andy doesn't believe in God, because that statement opens the possibility that God or a supreme being exists. Andy's worldview is driven by pure rationality, reason, and the scientific method. The result of this is that Andy, like most atheists, believes the theory of evolution to be true and rejects the possibility of the spiritual world and an afterlife. Andy's not alone. Most surveys show that around 15% of Americans call themselves atheist.
Things to Remember:
The first thing you need to ask an atheist is "do you really seek to discover the truth - even if it costs you your reputation, and even your friends?" If the answer is no, then realize that he/she is not willing to go where the evidence leads; you won't be having an honest intellectual dialogue, but your conversation may still have a spiritual impact.
Don't talk about sin with an atheist. In their worldview, morality is generally dependent on the situation and neutral, so there is no reference point in their minds for a concept of breaking God's universal laws.
Don't get dragged into arguments about what God did or didn't do. Focus on the evidence that Christ existed, died on the cross, and came back from the dead. As well, your personal testimony can be a powerful tool, because it's very difficult to "disprove" the real and lasting change that Christ has brought to your life.
Bottom line with an atheist: (and anyone else, for that matter) You cannot argue someone to faith in Christ, but you can (and should) live such a Christlike life that those around you sense something different, which opens the door for you to explain the "evidence."
Salt has several properties and benefits that make Jesus' metaphor particularly relevant to his followers.
Salt seasons and flavors food, just as Christians should enhance the people and community around them.
Salt is a preservative, just as Christians and the church should resiste corruption and decay, preserving a godly influence on the culture.
Salt has healing properties, just as Christ's followers must help bring healing to people who are hurting physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Salt creates thirst, just as Christians should create spiritual thirst, giving people a desire to know more about God and influencing many to follow Christ.
In Jesus' time, people used small clay lamps that burned olive oil drawn up by a wick. As Christians, we should be like these simple lamps, providing light in the spiritually dark conditions of the world around us.
Alisha the Agnostic: Alisha calls herself an agnostic because she believes there is no proof for the existence of God, so you could say that Alisha doesn't believe or disbelieve in God. In other words, in Alisha's mind, God could exist, but no one can currently prove that.
Things to Remember:
Don't argue over whether or not God can be "proven", because that usually puts you on the defensive, and the bottom line is you can't really "prove" God in the scientific method sense. You can't win a game by only playing defense.
Focus on the observable evidence of God that is built into creation like how "fine tuned" the universe is to support life, otherwise we wouldn't even exist. This fine tuning simply could not have happened by accident. For example, the earth is the perfect distance from the sun. If it were just a few miles closer, we'd all burn up. A few miles further out, and we'd all freeze to death!
Try to work what is called "Pascal's Wager" into the conversation, which goes something like this: It makes more sense to believe in God than to not believe. If you believe, and God does exist, you will be rewarded in the afterlife (heaven). If you do not believe, and God does exist, you will be punished for your disbelief (hell). If He does not exist, you have lost nothing either way.
If they ask questions like: "how do you know which God?", focus on the claims of Christ as being the only way and proving it by coming back from the dead. Remember to bring this up as a conversation starter, and not as an intimidating threat.
Bottom line with an agnostic: You cannot argue someone to faith in Christ, but you can (and should) live such a Christlike life that those around you sense something different, which opens the door for you to explain the "evidence."
Imagine for a moment that Jesus has a Facebook account. How many friend requests would He receive each day? Would we ignore His requests for the latest applications, causes, or green patches? And would we be excited every time he tags us in one of His photos? How many friends would we have in common? To how many of our friends would we send a friend suggestion to connect them with Jesus?
Let’s face it. We all use or have used social media to contact new and old friends. We invite them to school events, parties, and youth group activities. On Facebook you can join thousands of groups and give to thousands of causes. And without ever leaving your home you can learn a lot about a person or even a group of people simply by paying close attention to someone’s social media page. Our culture is changing all the time and despite what some may think the gospel is relevant yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Look at Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” You and I need to share the GOSPEL with confidence and assurance that God in His sovereignty will call others in spite of cultural differences because the GOSPEL is powerful and is for everyone. Want to know what to share? Try this:
God created us to be with Him.
Our sins separate us from God.
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.
Life that’s eternal means we’ll be with Jesus forever.
What are some things on Facebook or MySpace that you can use to spark a spiritual conversation with your friends? What are some other tools you can use to share the gospel with your friends online?
I can understand that people think “God blesses the super-Christians” - those who face extreme persecution just for owning a Bible, or refusing to follow cultural religios customs, or those disowned from their families because of their faith - when they read Matthew 5:10. To some degree, this is true. God is with them. Great is their reward. But, if we read this and think it’s about someone else, then Jesus isn’t talking to the rest of us. We read it as a command, or a law, instead of an announcement. It leads to thinking that, “If you want to be blessed, be brave.” That’s not a gospel announcement, it’s a law. “Go and do this and God will be with you.” More of the same law. This was not Jesus’ intention.
Edward Schweizer put it this way: "This passage extols not the strong, who, to the admiration of all, heroically defend their faith, but those who are defamed and go down in ignominious [marked by shame or disgrace] defeat.” This blessing is about whenever you follow Jesus and it costs you something and you lose. You receive no exaltation. No praise from your supporters. Your reward will be the “kingdom of God.”
This also seems to wrap us back around to the beginning of the Beatitudes to complete a circle of progression. When you're poor in spirit, yours is the kingdom of heaven. From poor in spirit, you mourn, become meek, then hunger and thirst for righteousness. To each of these people, God announces, “I am with you.” God meets you in your failure with grace, which, in turn, makes it easier for us to show grace to others. The progression continues...you become merciful, pure at heart, and peacemakers. Peacemaking leads to persecution. The Jesus way threatens how the world works and persecution often results. With persecution, again, yours is the kingdom of heaven. A complete circle.
Notice in all this, at a high level, for this, Jesus’ longest sermon, he begins with blessing. The 10 Commandments do not begin with law, they begin with blessing. Exodus 20:2, “I am the Lord your God, who BROUGHT YOU OUT of Egypt, out of the land of slavery [and blessed you]. [Now, here are my commands.]” When you have guilt, shame, fail, quit - blessing. Be blessed!
When it comes to sharing our faith with others, regardless of what kind of "talker" we are, we tend to clam up and don't say anything. Why is that? What are some reasons we struggle to share our faith? When it comes to telling what Jesus did for mankind ("His Story") and what Jesus did for you ("Your Story"), there are some basic steps we must follow:
- PRAY: Prayer should be the foundation for everything we do. We need to ask God to give us the words to use every time we open our mouth (Ephesians 6:19).
- PREPARE: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)
- KNOW GOD'S WORD: God's Word equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16). If we mediatate on it, we will be successful (Joshua 1:8). Know how to answer even the basic questions about your faith: Who is Jesus? Why did He come? What did He do for us?
- KNOW YOUR STYLE: Some people are talkative story tellers. Some people are bold and direct. Some people use their intelligence. Some people are more relational. Know what works for you and how you can best relate that to your audience.
We believe in a fundamental difference between being PEACEKEEPERS and PEACEMAKERS. Peacekeepers tend to go with the flow and attempt to smooth over problems while keeping everyone happy. Peacekeepers are compromisers. They avoid confrontation at all costs. Peacekeeping is a temporary operation. In contrast, Peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) understand that in the midst of a crisis, something or someone must change in order to make peace. Peacemakers see a problem and immediately go to work to correct, reconcile and restore. They implement long lasting solutions. Change can be uncomfortable, but Peacemakers do not keep their mouths shut when they see improper behavior. Peacemakers are willing to do the tough things. They teach and apply the truth. Peacemakers aren’t afraid of ruffling feathers along the way because they know that in the end, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)
[vimeo 1880929]
The “Saving Me” video shows a man obsessed with saving someone’s life because his own life had been saved. When it comes to sharing your faith are you compelled to tell your friends? Do you sense the urgency to rescue them from hell? If you’ve put your faith in Christ alone then you’ve been rescued. Rescued from an eternity in Hell, and shouldn’t that compel us to tell others about Jesus? Jude 1:23 says; Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment." Shouldn’t the fact that God loves us so much that he allowed his son to be murdered, die on the cross, so we can be rescued from our sins compel you to rescue someone?
In Jesus’ day, the religious elite were obsessed with external purity, with keeping up appearances: Do all the right things, and say all the right things and it will appear as though you’ve got clean hands and a pure heart. Never mind that you’re dying on the inside and that the keeping up appearances leaves you feeling more like a fraud with every passing day. Still today, far too often religion operates according to a purity-obsessed beatitude that says, “Blessed are the posers.
Jesus also addressed it this way in Matthew 23:27-28 (MSG), "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds."
In the Greek language, hypocrite was a drama term that referred to someone playing a part. For Jesus, the religious obsession with purity had far more to do with how one would be seen by others than it did with actually seeing God.
The pure in heart are those who live an undivided life. The Hebrew word for heart, “lev”, refers not only to the heart but also to the will and the mind. The pure in heart aren’t playing a part for others. Their entire being, heart, mind, and will aches to see God and nothing else. According to the religious conventions of the day, the lepers, the sick and diseased, and the demon-possessed people sitting around Jesus didn’t stand a chance at seeing God. But having sat on that hillside with Jesus, seeing God is exactly what they had done. "Blessed are you," Jesus said. And to those who have stopped living in obedience to the perception of others, and to those who ache to see God, Jesus still announces, "Blessed are you for you will see God."
Mercy is synonymous with clemency, leniency and compassion. It's NOT getting what we DO deserve. But, it's more than just a look or an observation. Mercy requires action. What set the Good Samaritan apart from the others that passed by the man on the side of the road was that he SAW and he ACTED.
Jesus was regularly ridiculed for his mercy for tax collectors, sinners, and other despised people of his day; eating with them, talking to them, healing them. Then, and now, it was unfashionable to be merciful to those who seemed so undeserving. Additionally, Jesus had some pretty sharp words for the merciless. Check out Matthew 18:21-35!
Think about a time when someone treated you with mercy. How did that affect you? Who don't you want to be merciful towards? Why is it so difficult to show mercy to that person/those people? Be merciful this week.
Truly hungry and thirsty people will do almost anything to satisfy such powerful urges. Look at Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25:29-34. Look at the Israelites after being delivered from Egypt in Exodus 16-17. I love the show Survivor on CBS. I've been a loyal fan since season one. Inevitably, there comes a point in the show when a lack of food coupled with a desire for creature comforts (blankets, tarps, fishing gear, etc.) presents the opportunity for some good TV: a food challenge. And, the "food" is GROSS, but they eat it anyway. Cattle milk mixed with cattle blood, marinated raw fish (marinated in a sauce made of fish bones, crab legs, lobster legs, soaked in sea water for 3 days and left out in the baking sun for a couple of hours), a spoonful of ants, a 3-inch water roach, 3 live grubs, a boiled tarantula, a boiled scorpion, sea slug guts, etc. YUM!
The people standing around Jesus were well acquainted with hunger and thirst. Most of the food the land produced was taken by Caesar, his local henchmen, and tax collectors. It was to these people that Jesus made this announcement. Now, righteousness has a range of meaning. It can mean right relationship with God. It can mean right moral conduct and character. It can also refer to the intense longing for the social righteousness that the prophets spoke of: liberation from oppression and the longing for justice (Isaiah 61:1). Righteousness is the blazing longing for the things to be as God intended them to be, and according to Jesus, the people who hunger and thirst for it will be filled.
Meanwhile, we live in a world that produces enough food for everyone, yet there are millions that starve to death and lack clean water, which leads to countless others suffering disease and dehydration. Righteousness is longing for that to be made right. Righteousness unsettles us. Righteousness disrupts us. You know, another way of looking at this may be, "Blessed are those who allow themselves to be disrupted by what they see in the world around them." Allow yourself to be disrupted this week.
