Not long ago, my wife and I were on a short road trip with some friends when one asked to use my smart phone to view an online video of a product she was reading about in a magazine. So, I handed her the phone and we all anxiously waited while the video was loading. Once it launched, the quality wasn't that great and the video intermittently cut in and out while the next portions of the video were being loaded. It was a little frustrating, but then I thought, "Two years ago, we wouldn't have even been able to make a cellular phone call where we're driving, and now we're trying to connect to the internet and stream a video while driving 60 mph down the highway in the middle of nowhere?!" It put things into perspective for a moment. It made me think of the Verizon guy that's constantly asking, "Can you hear me now? ...Good!"
When I read through 1 Samuel 3:1-10, I can't help but imagine God asking young Samuel, "Can you hear me now?" And then, immediately, I wonder, "Would I recognize the voice of God if he spoke to me?" I understand that in those days the word of the Lord was rare, and that there weren't many visions, but how is that different than most people's experiences today? Even most church experiences? I know that Samuel did not yet know the Lord; that the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The question remains: Do you know the Lord? Do you recognize His voice? How can you be sure?
There’s a couple of things you can do to better your reception when it comes to hearing God’s voice:
First, pray Psalm 139:23-24. “Search me, O God.” Let God put you through any test that would reveal hidden sin. If that test reveals anything offensive in you, you must admit it, give it up, turn from it and submit to God.
Second, evaluate your present situation. Take a look at Colossians 3:17. In everything you say, do, think, or enjoy, you must ask the following: Can it be done for God’s glory and honor? Can it be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (with a complete awareness of who He is, all He stands for and that you are to represent Him), and could you ask His blessing and approval for the activity? Can it be done while sincerely giving thanks to God? Is it a Christ-like action? Would Jesus do it? Could it cause another Christian to compromise his or her devotion to Christ? Will it strengthen or weaken my desire for spiritual things, God’s Word and prayer? Could it weaken or hinder my influence for Christ on others who do not know him or who may look to me as an example of Christ-like behavior?
Finally, be still and listen. Check out Psalm 46:10. You have to get to a point of saying, “Enough is enough!” You have to stop and let go of the things that are holding you back. You have to quit holding on to things that may be distracting or weighing you down spiritually – things that keep you from honoring God and giving him his proper place in your life. Then, when God speaks, you’ll be able to answer, “speak, for your servant is listening.”
My family loves geocaching! If you haven't heard of it, geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache's existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS device can then try to locate the geocache. Tons of fun!
As much as we enjoy following the direction of our GPS receiver, we realize that finding the treasure we're looking for would be a lot easier if we had a guide. Someone who had been there before, knew exactly what we were looking for and how to find it. When it comes to geocaching, that may be less fun, but it would be easier! It's not unlike when you travel to a new city, and rent a car and follow a map or a GPS. It's not as easy to navigate as it would be if someone local picked you up from the airport and drove you to your destination; someone that had been there before, knew exactly what they were looking for and how to find it.
What are you following? Are you trying to navigate through life by following signs left by others or are you following Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit? Are you asking for signs to follow yourself or are you leaving signs for others to follow? As many "signs and wonders" as the disciples witnessed Jesus performing, when they asked Him to teach them something, they didn't ask for instruction about performing the signs. They didn't ask how to turn water into wine, or how to heal a man born blind, or how to raise the dead. They asked Jesus how to pray! (See Luke 11:1-13) They seemed to understand that it wasn't about the signs, it was about the Savior.
Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing. Mark 16:17 indicates that signs will follow those who believe. John 11:40 says, "Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?'" Take a moment to pray today that God would teach us to leave signs that others may follow instead of asking for signs that we may follow. (See Acts 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 11:1; John 4:48-53)
In the news this week, football coach Urban Meyer, University of Florida, retired after the Gators' 37-24 win over Penn State in the 2011 Outback Bowl on January 1, 2011. No big deal, right? Head coaches retire all the time! Height of their career, moderate, but winning season, 100+ career wins in relatively short order.
Nothing extraordinary here, or is there? Afterall, he's walking away from a lot! Meyer signed a six-year, $24 million extension in 2009, meaning he's walking away from about $20 million in guaranteed salary! Why? To spend more time with his family; to focus on being a better husband and father!
"At the end of the day, I'm very convinced that you're going to be judged on how you are as a husband and as a father and not on how many bowl games we won," Meyer said at a campus news conference. "I've not seen my two girls play high school sports. They're both very talented Division I-A volleyball players, so I missed those four years. I missed two already with one away at college. I can't get that time back."
What kind of regrets are you living with? What's currently keeping you from doing something more important with your life? What matters most must never be at the mercy of what matters least! We give a lot of lip service to trusting God, and doing whatever He wants, and following Him to the ends of the earth, but do are actions really match our words? Do our actions serve to illustrate what's really important to us?
I'm sure there are a lot of people giving Coach Meyer a hard time about quitting his job to focus on his family. I'm sure that there are a lot of people that believe he's being unwise. In my opinion, he's doing an honorable thing. 1 Peter 2:12 says, "Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world." Take a moment and pray today that God will teach you to harmonize your words and your actions.
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!
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."
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).
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]
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...
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
