Matthew 5

And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: (verse 2)

I’ve never really noticed this verse before. It isn’t a hugely noticeable verse. It is just a preface to one of Jesus’ most famous teachings, the Beatitudes.

But today God brought to my attention the very important phrase, “He opened His mouth and taught them”.

We don’t like to speak about God much. In this day and age it is embarrassing. It marks you as being among the religious freaks of the world. And teaching people about God – especially unbelievers – is just plain hard. So often it is easier to just keep our mouths shut.

But that is not what God wants us to do. He wants us to OPEN our mouths and TEACH those around us. It is hard, but it is worthwhile.

Today I had the opportunity to explain to a colleague that there are answers to the common ‘scientific’ queries people make. She’s never had a Christian answer them before. And while it wasn’t much, it was sowing a seed. It was opening my mouth and teaching.

LORD, give me more opportunities like this!

Seven Texts on Evangelism

Tim Challies posted this helpful piece, Seven Texts on Evangelism. Following are the seven texts:

1. There is work to be done
Matthew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

2. Jesus has commanded you to do it
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

3. Success is guaranteed
John 10:16
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

4. Jesus is the only salvation
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

5. You were given the Holy Spirit for this purpose
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

6. People won’t be saved without hearing
Romans 10:11-15
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

7. Evangelism is necessary for your own growth in Christ
Philemon 6
And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.

HT: Scott Brown in this post.

Fishers Of Men

Thabiti Anyabwile

Christian, throw safety and security and ease and comfort and convenience to the dogs! Give yourself to something greater – the glory of God and the joy of God. Jesus is our reward. Lose your life for Jesus and the gospel so that you will find your life. Give that cup of water – in other words, do even small acts of mercy in the name of Jesus and the gospel – and you will have a reward you cannot lose. Count it all loss so that you might gain Christ. Stop fearing man – and go get your reward, which is loving fellowship with God in heaven. God is your portion, your inheritance. And to everyone who goes out with the gospel of the kingdom, God gives himself as the fulfilment of all their hopes and joys. Go get him.

From his chapter in Thinking. Loving. Doing. (Edited by John Piper & David Mathis)

Charles Spurgeon

Any Christian has a right to disseminate the gospel who has the ability to do so; and more, he not only has the right, but it is his duty so to do as long as he lives. (Revelation 22:17.) The propagation of the gospel is left, not to a few, but to all the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ: according to the measure of grace entrusted to him by the Holy Spirit, each man is bound to minister in his day and generation, both to the church and among unbelievers.

Lectures to My Students, Lecture 2.

Pursue Righteousness

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11)

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)

One of the things that strikes me about modern Christianity, is how known we are as avoiders. Christians are known as those who don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, don’t have pre-marital sex, don’t swear, etc. And while statistically, “Christians” are no different from the world in many of these areas, that is what we are known for. As people who “don’t” do things.

We are ready to flee impurity (or at least be known for fleeing impurity). But we are so rarely ready to pursue, to chase after, righteousness, or faith, or love. We’d rather just avoid the bad stuff.

What a terrible witness this is! We become known as those who “don’t” do things – those who don’t have fun. When that should be the opposite. We are the ones who “do” things – those who seek to follow after God with our whole hearts, our whole souls, our whole strength!

Are you pursuing righteousness? Are you truly chasing after it, seeking after it, doing all that is in your power for it? Are you truly looking at submitting your whole being to the Lordship of Christ? Are you? Am I?

William Booth

"Not called!" did you say? "Not heard the call," I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.
William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army

Romans 1

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world (verse 8).

The Roman Christians made great sacrifices for their faith. Many suffered persecution. They gave what they could (and often more than they could afford) to aid the spread of the gospel. They took such food care of those around them that the pagans commented. Their faith was proclaimed throughout all the world.

Is my faith? Do people who know Christians now days as those who are prepared to give their all to honour Christ? Do they even know me (those who know me) as someone prepared to give my all in order to follow Him? I can honestly say no to both, and while this concerns me greatly about the whole church, it concerns me more about myself. How little is the love I have for Christ if I am not willing to sacrifice all for His sake. Some say that He hasn’t directly said to them (or me) to, but we have His Word, wherein He has said that those who will not abandon all they have for His sake cannot be His disciples. And here I am, clinging to the rubbish I have collected along the way. Lord, forgive my terrible witness!

I want to be known by those around me as being someone who happily gives her all for Christ, who sacrifices joyfully to make Him known throughout the nations.

Lord, help me to be such a follower of You!

Acts 28

…for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against. (From verse 22)

The Roman Jews did not know much about the Way, and all they had hear was bad. That was fine with them – the Jews, especially in places like Rome, were used to having their way of life, their families, and their God maligned. They knew a bad report could be the slandering of God’s true work, just as it had been in the times of the Prophets, and more recently, the Maccabees.

Today, that is still the case with true Christianity. People laugh at those who “waste” their Sunday mornings at church or their time in prayer. They mock those who attempt to do good (I never realised until recently how hated Mother Teresa is/was, and precisely for the reasons she is so known, not her dodgy theology or her long-time hidden doubts). Christians are made fun of in a way that just isn’t acceptable for in regards to any other religion.

Yet these things are not bad things in God’s plan. People are interested in the ‘weirdness’ of true Christianity, and for some of them, their interest will develop into faith. We must never be ashamed of the gospel, in spite of those who appear to be arrayed against us, for the gospel is the power of God to save the souls of those who are yet to believe.

Genesius of Rome

There is but one king that I know; it is he that I love and worship. If I were to be killed a thousand times for my loyalty to him, I would still be his servant. Christ is on my lips, Christ is in my heart; no amount of suffering will take him from me.
From Prayers of the Martyrs, collected by Duane W.H. Arnold

John Piper

Christ has prepared a love offering for the world by suffering and dying for sinners. It is full and lacking in nothing—except one thing, a personal presentation by Christ himself to the nations of the world. God’s answer to this lack is to call the people of Christ (people like Paul) to make a personal presentation of the afflictions of Christ to the world.
From his book Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ

Acts 19

And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying gods made with hands are not gods. (verse 26)

It’s interesting how often it is that the non-Christians who see that the gospel will completely transform their area. They know that Christ transforms – they just don’t like it. Demetrius the silversmith knows the effect that Christianity will have if it continues in his city – it will result in people putting away their idols, turning from the false goddess Artemis, and living lives of purity. He knows this, and he hates it, and so he stirs up as much trouble as he can for those who follow Christ.

If only Christians would see this! We are called to transform the whole world for Christ, not to stay inside our churches and do nothing while the world goes to hell. We need to be out there, making a difference by being radiant lights for Christ; ministering to the poor, caring for the orphan, and doing all the good we can.

When we do this, we will face opposition. The world does not oppose Christians who are exactly like themselves. It does not need to. It opposes those who are glorifying Christ. So don’t see opposition as a sign of failure, but of success! We can transform the world for Christ, through Christ, with Christ, and for His glory!

Acts 14

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and poisoned their minds against the brothers. SO they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord. (verses 2 and 3a)

Those who did not believe did all they could in their power to hinder the spread of the Gospel. They poisoned the minds of those who had not yet heard, and worked their way up to the process of stoning Paul and Barnabas.

In the world’s eyes this means that the spread of the gospel would be slowed, maybe stopped completely. But in God’s eyes it meant a greater power to preach, a greater witness, and a statement greater than any with words – that Christ is better than prosperity, better than respect, better than life.

Which eyes do we choose to see from?

I am aiming to see from Christ’s prospective. His glory is all that matters. I am slowly becoming more and more willing to become a fool for Christ, knowing that when I demonstrate that He is worthy, most worthy, with all my life, I will be a light unto the world, and that my light will burn in brighter contrast when the world in all its darkness stands against me as I stand for Him.

His glory alone matters.

Acts 13

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (verse 47)

We are saved, but we are saved unto a purpose. That purpose is to be a light for all, especially those who have not heard the Good News of the Gospel. God had made us for that purpose. He has commanded us.

And yet how few Christians are light! How few of us (myself included!) demonstrate God’s love, God’s holiness, God’s glory, where we are, where most have heard the Gospel, even if they have not accepted it. Instead we cover our light, trying to make ourselves as much like the darkness as possible. We end up looking just like the world. And then the world will never come, not if they are relying on our witness. (Thank God that the Holy Spirit draws many in spite of us!)

We are such a witness at home, and no witness abroad. We not only cover our light, but we refuse to carry God’s salvation to the ends of the earth, even though that is God’s command. We need to snap out of it. I need to snap out of it, and get going with God’s plan of being a light unto the world.

Acts 9

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” (verse 15)

God really does work in some mysterious ways. One such is the choosing of someone who no one would expect to carry out an important mission for him. Paul is the most obvious example, being a persecutor of the early church, but in God’s plan, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Luther is another – a man who frightened in a thunderstorm, begged ‘St Anne’ to save him. But in God’s plan, he was the founder of the Reformation. George Mueller was a gambling reprobate, but in God’s plan he was to care for thousands upon thousands of orphans by faith.

There are so many people in the world who are publically opposed to Christianity. They seem impossible to our human minds to come to faith in Christ. But this is not impossible for God – and this is precisely the type of thing He delights to do, for it demonstrates how the foolishness of God is far above the wisdom of the world.

What is our part in all this? To pray that those who are lost to come to Him. To restore those who have, just as Ananias and Barnabas did to Paul. And to help each of them find their role in the extension of God’s kingdom.

John 10

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (verse 16)

Jesus has His people all over the world – even in the unreached people groups. They are His sheep, and He will gather them, for when they hear His voice they will come to Him and join His flock.

As His hands and feet it is our job, our commission, to go into all the areas of the world and proclaim Christ. They cannot respond to His voice until they hear Him through the words of a preacher or evangelist. And until the church sends its people out they will not have this opportunity.

The fulfilment of the Great Commission is within our reach. We have the technology to go anywhere in the world, usually quite quickly – within days! In the past such trips would take months or even years! What we lack now is the will. We need to humble ourselves and pray that we would be submitted to God’s will – that we would be willing to sacrifice in order that the Great Commission would be fulfilled.

LORD, transform us that we might be used of You for this purpose!

Mark Driscoll

If we truly believe the gospel of Jesus, then we should yearn for everyone to hear its truthfulness and see its helpfulness in the most effective manner possible. Therefore, every Christian leader, Christian church, and Christian person must ask themselves if they are doing all that they can to “win more of them . . . for the sake of the gospel.”

From his chapter in The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World

Luke 21

“This will be your opportunity to bear witness.” (verse 13)

As a young believer, I was terrified about being ridiculed or even worse for my faith. I used to imagine being arrested and being beaten, and it scared me terribly. I consoled myself, not with the fact that Christ would be with me in any trial, but that such things were unlikely to happen in Australia.

Now, as a (slightly) more mature believer, I am preparing to go to a country were such things are far more likely, where children are abducted daily, where there are multitudes of orphans and many, many adults struggling with the effects of AIDS. It is a country where several people (including Christians) have expressed concern for my safety (even for short visits).

And that will be a country where the light of Christ shall shine brightly! It will be my opportunity to witness to those around me – in Australia as well as Uganda – that Christ is Lord, and that He is good, and is with us, even in the midst of trials and tribulation.

From Persecution Project

I love the Gospel message and the Gospel witness. It runs completely counter to everything our “old nature” tells us to do. The world says, “Live for yourself.” The Gospel says, “Die to yourself.” The world says, “Feed your self-esteem.” The Gosepl says, “Feed your soul by esteeming others.” The world says, “Make time for yourself.” The Gospel says, “Spend your time helping others.” The world says, “Look out for no. 1.” The Gospel identifies “No. 1″ as “not us.”

When people live according to Gospel precepts, the world changes. The world changes, because it doesn’t know what to do with such a crazy way of life.
By Brad Phillips, PPF President. Read the whole thing here.

Witnessing Failures

I love apologetics. I think it’s so fascinating, and I love to share with my friends why I believe in Jesus and how I try to live out my life as a result.

In fact, I like this so much that my friend Stephen apparently thinks my hidden spiritual gift is evangelism. Which made his girl-friend, my housemate Kallie laugh. It made me laugh to. I so don’t think so.

I have written before how the thing is to be obedient. Don’t worry about what your spiritual gifting is. Sure, you will be better at some things than others. We all are. But the thing is to do what you can in the situation that you are currently in – whether the situation calls for “spiritual” ministry or material ministry or anything else.

And boy, do I struggle with this. I am actually really bad at starting a conversation. Sure, once the conversation gets going, I’m usually all right. But starting one is another matter. I mean, I plan often out my phone calls on paper because otherwise I find it too difficult to dial the number. (Seriously. I have issues.)

But even when I am in a conversation, I am often SO tempted to do less than my best. I am so often tempted to let a few things slide because it’s easier, because then others will think better than me. (Fear of man = sin. I’m working on it.)

Two examples from recent times, both in relation to speaking to others (who started the conversation, no less) demonstrate this. Just before Easter I was going to the library and I bumped into two Mormons. They asked for some directions, then turned the conversation to matters of God etc. They were kind of amazed that I even know any part of Mormon theology (they don’t believe in the Trinity, etc) so we had an interesting five minute conversation. In the course of it, they mentioned how they believe in the Bible but believe that it is full of errors and that textual criticism has proved that.

The thing is, I actually know a small amount of textual criticism, and it supports the opposite – that the Bible is reliable in pretty much every aspect. And I can give enough information on this to demonstrate my point.

But I didn’t. And afterwards I felt terrible. And even when I ran into them for a second time (with my friend Kallie, just after Easter) I didn’t bring it up. Whatever happened to being always ready to give an answer?

The second one is happening now. (Well, not literally now, but I’m stressing about it now.) One of my bus drivers has passed me a few DVDs he burnt, because we then talk about history and philosophy etc. One of the DVDs he gave me was Rome, series 1 and 2. And so, when I was at home sick, I started watching them.

Oh my goodness, they were beyond inappropriate. There was way more scenes of people having s*x than some adult films. I made it through 3 episodes (the history is actually interesting; I’d go make tea while people were being inappropriate) before giving up.

The thing is, the bus driver is going to ask me all about the show next time I catch his bus. And I need to tell him that I thought it was inappropriate, and why.

I know that it is a GREAT witnessing opportunity, but I’m quite frankly, terrified.

So please pray for me.