Evangelizing Me

We were having a spontaneous yard sale a few weeks ago.  A few people stopped to take a look at our wares.  I noticed an older gentleman pull up in a battered truck.  As he stepped out of the vehicle, he stuffed some papers into his pocket.  I did not think much about it until he handed one to me and one to my sister.  It was a tract he had written.

I was so excited.  Here was a man living out his faith.  He said it took nine months of prayer to put the tract together.  It was not beautiful.  It was not particularly eye-catching.  But he wanted me to know where I spend eternity.

I want people to evangelize me.  I want to hear the gospel.  I want to pass street preachers resounding forth the truth on the corner of my city.  I want to not be able to walk through the grocery store without someone handing a tract to me.  And if that is the kind of Christianity I want to see, that is the kind of Christianity I must live.

True Christianity does not look like the world.  There is no in between type of life where one is a Christian but is living like the world.  Our faith requires action.

Advertisement

Evangelism & Theology

I will not have much time to blog this week, but I wanted to share this great post from Thom Rainer.  It’s called When Theology Meets Evangelism.  Check it out!

As if A Day: 07.19.09

The weeks pass as if a day.

This week’s highlights were:

• When a dear older man gave me a gospel tract (story forthcoming).
• Enrollment in next week’s camp jumping from three kids to eight! (Prayers work!)
• Working out many of the details concerning my schooling.
• A renewed understanding of trials in the life of the Christian.

Friday Find: Stuff Christian Culture Likes

I recently came across a blog called Stuff Christian Culture Likes. Please take it with a grain of salt.  It is designed to poke fun at the Christian Culture and the things that we elevate to ridiculous levels.

As I sat in church this past week, a few came to mind:

– Christian’s like Apple.  It is hip to talk smack about PCs and to promote the latest iGadget.

– Christian men like sandals.  Perhaps it’s a throwback to Bible times.  Sandals probably looked ok with long robes, but please sir, ditch the mandals with khakis at church.

Check out the Stuff Christian Culture Likes blog for a little humor about the things that Christian’s like but have nothing to do with being a follower of Jesus.

Thoughts on Suffering: Part I

I was talking to my mom yesterday about a dear woman who is on her death bed with cancer.  She has two young children and one amazing husband.  This woman is right here in my city.  It makes it feel very real.  My mom asked the question, “Why would God allow her to be taken away!”  And it hit me, “For His glory!”

We do not understand what brings glory to God.  The suffering of Jesus brought glory to God.

For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one sorrows while suffering unjustly.  For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?  But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.  For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  1 Peter 2:19-24 ESV

In my flesh, I cry out with those who say, “Why?”  Why does a young mother get snatched from her family?  Why do innocent unborn children die at the hands of doctors?  Why did God’s perfect Son get nailed to a cross taking on the wrath of God for me?  It does not seem fair.  But GOD…

God knows just what will bring Him the most glory.  He knows when taking away a wife will create a warrior man for His kingdom.  He knows when taking away a mother will raise up two children who will lead many to righteousness.  I do not know the end result, but I do know that God does.  Even in my small sufferings- loss of a friendship, death of a dream, etc.- God is in control and is working to bring glory to Himself.

————————————————————————————–

Though I feel under equipped to talk about this subject, I do want to share some practical thoughts  on dealing with times of suffering as a Christian.  Stop by next week for Part II!

Creating A Tract

I am in the process of creating a gospel tract.  My goal is something that is streamlined, attractive, easy to read, and most importantly communicates the essential elements of the gospel.  (In case you are wondering, the tract will be available here once it is printed.)

As I have searched through various sources, I have to laugh at some of the tracts that are being produced these days. If I was a non-Christian and was handed a tract the length of a novel, I would not read it.  If I was handed a tract that was chocolate-scented, I would throw it away.  (Yes, I really did find a chocolate scented tract in my browsing through various tracts.)  I would want something that seemed to match the media quality of other mainstream material I receive if I was to take it seriously.

Now I am thankful that there are all kinds of tracts and more importantly that there are people handing out tracts.  I know that if God can speak through a donkey, He can certainly speak through a tract that does not meet my personal preferences.

The most important thing is that we are to put forth our best effort when doing something for the Lord.  If I am going to hand a tract to someone, I want it to reflect my desire to to do things for the glory of God.

I have a friend that tosses tracts when they get crumpled.  He does not want to hand someone something that is of poor quality or condition.  I respect that.  Jesus did not give us His second best on the cross.  He gave His all, and when we share the gospel, we need to give our best.  Now this is not to make us look good but rather to make Him look great.  He is worthy!

As if A Day: 07.12.09

The weeks pass as if a day…

This week’s highlights were:

• Finishing the other half of the fall schedule for my business.
• Sweet reminder’s of answered prayers through the sale of various items that brought in a little much needed cash.
• A time of worship with the reminder that God meets people in so many different churches.
• A bit of meditation on Psalm 93:5, “Your testimonies are fully confirmed…” (NASB)
• The feeling that the Reverend Mother said to Maria in The Sound of Music, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.”   Feeling a window possibly opening…
• Seeing two of the babies I helped deliver.  One is now eight weeks old and the other is just four weeks old.  They are precious!

Friday Find: Reach Records

Will you understand that Christ is King? Or will you just like the words we sing after the music stops.

It’s a line from a song.  But not just another Christian song.  It’s a song from LeCrae.

Now I’ve heard of Lecrae on a couple of occasions and listened to his songs a few times.  But something really hit me this time I looked up the Reach Records website.  I was convicted when I listened to the music.  And I liked it.  Both.

Even if rap is not your style of choice, please take a moment to see what is happening over at Reach Records. It is music packed out with convicting lyrics, theology, and talent.

Entrusted With My Business

I never realized when I opened my own business that it would be such a fertile ground for ministry.  From making classes accessible through low tuition rates and scholarship opportunities to providing a healthy environment for kids, there is something special happening at this place God has given to me.

Opportunities also come up to talk about faith.  Just this week I dealt with a set of cousins that are dear girls but both struggle with their own personal issues relating to family.  They have been spending a bit too much time together and are starting to get on each other’s nerves.  In her frustration, one cousin made some very embarrassment comments about the other in front of the group of kids.  A lesson in reconciliation was in order.  Though the conversation was directive in nature, I could see both girls soften as they apologized and offered forgiveness to one another.  Even more than what was happening between them was the seeming relief of having a mediator.  They both felt loved.  After a few minutes of conversation, one of the girls said she wished I would come live with them.

The conversation was such a reminder that kids thrive within good boundaries.  This same little girl lied to me earlier in the week telling me she had not brought a drink with the hope that I would give her soda.  I corrected her and gave instruction for how she should have handled the situation.  She apologized, and today when she wanted soda, she politely followed the instructions, “Miss Jenny, I brought water, but I would still like something else to drink.  May I have some soda?”

I am entrusted with my business, with the families, and the students.  The best part of this week was not the new enrollment numbers, the mostly-well-behaved kids, or the much needed rent money that came in.  The best part of this week was getting to talk about Jesus with a couple of the students and getting to shower some love on kids.  Praise God that He has entrusted me with my business.

Beauty in the Eyes of God

I am a magazine flipper. I am that person that will turn the magazines backwards when with my brothers or brothers in Christ. I have been disgusted by guys walking through the store and stopping with a gawking look at the cover of a magazine with a scantily clad woman. What the model found perhaps artistic in posing with more skin that fabric showing has in turn made her the object of lust in the minds and hearts of men.

There was a truth I did not begin to understand about myself until a few years ago. I, too, am effected by what I see on the covers of magazines, in movies, on TV, and anywhere the media infiltrates my life. When I see what our world considers perfection in a woman, I begin to lust as well. I am not lusting in the same way a man does when he sees the same image. But I am allowing my view of beauty to be shaped by the world’s standards.

Even if I am looking at what is deemed handsome by the world, I am allowing myself to be drawn towards that definition of attractiveness. I can assure you that a photo on the cover of a magazine cannot begin to capture true godly masculinity. The strength of the heart cannot be captured in a photograph.

We do need to fight temptation at its source. We need to avoid situations that will cause us to stumble. We need to flip magazines at times and help guard the eyes of our brothers, but we also need to guard our own eyes and hearts. The Lord’s standard of beauty is far different from the world’s standard. We can look around and see the Creator of all life- who declared His creation good- and know that He sees beauty in various colors, shapes, and sizes. His idea of beauty is not limited to what makes the cover of a magazine.