Marching Forth!

One of the biggest hindrances a Christian faces in evangelism is himself.  We have a way of becoming self-focused when answering the call to reveal Jesus to the world through our lives.  A common extreme is to become so regimented on a process that we forget to show real love to the people Jesus died to save.  Another common issue is we are so concerned about our lack of knowledge or other perceived insufficiency we refuse to even try! As I waited in a Starbucks to meet with a friend today, I was struck by the vast differences of the people inside.  There was a policeman with a holstered gun, a man working on his computer, a man with painted nails and a purple purse, a couple of ladies walked in fresh from a workout, and a job interview was being conducted in the corner.  I considered our different personalities, lifestyles, and occupations, and I wondered what I could possible have in common with all these people.  I looked again at the man ...

Has someone ever asked you an unexpected question?  On Christmas Eve my great-grandma, affectionately known as "Mama Pachita," asked me such a question.  To this point, her question usually has been, "Mijo, why don't you speak Spanish?"  As I knelt by her chair to give her a hug she bluntly asked, "Why do you have to go so far?  What if you are gone when I die?"  She struggled to cope with the idea that I would be moving from San Diego to Sydney across the Pacific ocean about 8,500 miles away.  This is not a question I could answer.  I quipped that she had lived a long life until this point, and I didn't think that would soon change.  Though still in great health, the thought of me being gone when she passed away disturbed her.  As I lay down to pray and sleep that night, her question remained in my mind. I suppose I don't consider the ramifications of my own death that often.  I have taken responsible steps to provide for my family th...

As I went to sleep last night, a very simple thought came to me.  Wouldn't it be great if now and always God's people were faithful to share the love of Jesus with everyone?  A lot of the time we think of evangelism as going to people we've never seen before we tracts or having an outreach at the beach.  How great it would be to actively walk in the love of Christ every day!  He gave Himself completely, the greatest gift of all! Romans 10:13-15 reads, " For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good thing s!"   How will people know of the love of Jesus firsthand except God reveal it through His pe...

" I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations ." Isaiah 61:10-11   What God has promised He is able to perform.  Our intellect can get in the way of trusting the Word of the LORD.  When my children were in preschool, they learned how plants grow from seeds.  They wrapped dried beans in a wet paper towel sealed in a Ziploc bag.  After placing the bag in a sunny spot, with childlike enthusiasm they couldn't wait until the first tender shoots peeked out from those seemingly dead, dry beans.  When we grow plants from seeds as adults, we c...

Sometimes in reading the Bible I come across verses that shatter my misconceptions I didn't know I had!  I read Proverbs 24:15-16 which states, " Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; do not plunder his resting place; 16 for a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity ."  Both the wicked and the righteous will fall into sin, for they live in a body of flesh.  The difference between them is the righteous will rise again and again, while the wicked will fall and be unable to rise.  The wicked have no resting place under the oppressive weight of their guilt and sin before God, while the righteous are those who rest in the forgiveness offered through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. We might think that a righteous person is one who no longer sins, while in actuality those who are righteous are those whose sins are forgiven.  There is none righteous, not one is righteous in his...

" Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has...

For all of those who envision God as a soft old man similar to a cross between Santa Claus and a benevolent Genie, I am here to set things straight.  There is no fitting comparison found on earth for God.  Yes, God is full of love, compassion, and mercy.  But that does not make Him soft or manipulated by the whims of men.  The God I serve, the God who shed His own blood for my sins, is more fierce in His love, justice, and grace than we could imagine.  The same God who says, "My peace I give unto you" is the same God who says this in Psalm 50:22-23:  " Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: 23 whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God ."  Now there's a verse we don't hear read too often! As much as I appreciate and love every aspect of God's character (and perhaps because I am a man!) I really love to read of the awesome po...