Archive | July 2016

How NOT to win the lost

Jul14

aattp-bible-thumpers

Lately I find myself getting more disturbed by a trend I see. Christians treating and reacting to non believers as if they were Christians.  Expecting them to live and act like they have been filled with the Holy Spirit.

We will never win others to Christ by tsk tsking them and shaming them. We will win them to Christ by sharing the love of Christ with them. By demonstrating the love of Christ to them.  When you look at your unsaved loved ones, friends, coworkers etc. don’t expect them to behave as if they are transformed. They are not. They are living in the flesh being lead by the flesh. Is it any wonder many are living lives of a hot mess? We did too before we made the decision to ask Christ in!  Thanks be to God that He heard us and gave us the Comforter to guide us in the way we should go.

We will NEVER win others to Christ by merely pointing out all their flaws and criticizing them. It wouldn’t have worked on us and it won’t work on them. Nor is it what Christ has called us to do.

Does this mean we should not speak out about atrocities and abuses in our society? NO. We need to speak out against those who do both but we will not win one single soul to Christ by beating non believers over the head with the Bible.

We need to love on people the way Christ did. We need to help others when we can. We need to pray for those who need Christ! These things are scriptural. Does that mean we don’t share the TRUTH of the gospel with them? Does it mean we should water down the gospel for them?  NO! We must share the truth that will set them free but not before demonstrating the love of Christ to them! No one wants to hear the truth by being smacked over the head with it. Let the Spirit guide you when and how when it comes to sharing Jesus! He is the master of drawing those who need Christ!

When I see a secular parade, protest etc. and I see Christians carrying signs saying you are going to Hell it does not bode well. How about handing out some bottled water and a tract telling them of the love of Christ instead. Live the love of Christ, demonstrate the love of Christ and share the message of Christ! That is what we are called to do.

Ask God what you can do today to demonstrate His love!

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”~John 13:35

 

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Maybe a little too comfy…

Jul6

blankyboy

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:11

When my children were little they all had some type of comfy blanket or toy. It was taken with us when we went anywhere overnight or when we traveled in order to ensure a peaceful trip for the rest of the family. They would sometimes rub it against their face when they were going to sleep or just drag it around with them when they were about the house. Fortunately they all outgrew them! 🙂

Us followers of Christ can sometimes be guilty of holding onto our comfort toys for far too long. Those things that bring temporary relief or pleasure but keep us from moving forward and actually living the mature Christian life. We all have ones that we wrestle with.  I know I’ve been sensing that God is not pleased with me when I waste time doing things that bring a little relief from this crazy world we live in when I could be doing something that can help change this crazy world we live in by changing the lives of those living in it!

There is a darkness encroaching that we all see. Christians are being persecuted worldwide at an alarming rate. Many are boldly dying for their faith rather than renounce the lover of their soul. Yet, in North America, Europe etc.  many of us are afraid to even share the gospel with our neighbor.  We don’t want to appear different or odd. Well we are different and odd. We are a peculiar people! We need to be bold in our love for Christ. He was bold for us when he went to the cross and suffered the dreadful death that He did.

The time for playing is over. We need to encourage one another to live our life (always guided by love and not our own agenda) boldly for Christ! We need to set aside anything that is causing us to be distracted or falsely comforted from avoiding the fact that many around us are going to not only miss out on a life of joy and peace but an eternity with Christ!

It’s time for us, the Church, to lay aside our comfort toys and be the Church Jesus called us to be!

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves,and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.~ Ephesians 4:11-15