Tag Archives: Witnessing

“Who Am I To You?”

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Jesus and his disciples came to the region of Caeserea Philippi and he asked them one of the most important questions that could be considered about himself. First, he wanted to know what people were saying about him.

And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Then Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:14-15)

Jesus also wants to know who we say that he is. The sort of relationship we can have with him is determined by how we answer.

Savior, Lord, Friend, Christ, Son of God, Teacher, Prophet. How do you answer when Jesus asks you “Who do you say that I am?” The way in which you answer can evolve. At any rate, how you respond to him…

Can change your life.

“He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.” Isaiah 40:11

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” Luke 24:5

“Star of wonder, star of night, guide us to they perfect light.”

God Uses Ordinary People

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“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled , ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things o the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world…” 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

We all can be used by God if we belong to Him. Young, old, man, woman, child, educated, without education. No matter who we are (or what we have done), we’re the people who fulfill God’s purpose.

Be glad He chose you and be a blessing to someone today.

Jesus for You, Jesus for Others

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COME EMPTY  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28,29

 

GET FILLED  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6

GO POUR OUT TO THE WORLD  “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:35, 36, 40

Good News For All

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Are you sharing the good news about Jesus with others?

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'” Luke 2:10-11

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” Luke 2:17-18

 

“I Know You!”

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The phone rang first thing in the morning and I didn’t want to answer it. I was still stumbling around with my coffee and hadn’t yet revved myself up for the day. I picked up the receiver and said, “Hello.”

The woman on the other end of the line introduced herself and explained why she’d called. She read a devotion I’d written and wanted to let me know she enjoyed it. Since the city in which I live was noted at the end of the devotion, she looked me up in her phone book. I knew exactly who she was; I had caller ID, after all.

She kept talking and I decided to let her. Her words were encouraging, and it was obvious from what she said that she’d been blessed by what she read. I was glad to hear it, especially from her, a woman I respected.

I decided I better introduce myself and let her know we weren’t strangers. We’d been going to the same church for almost twenty years. I knew she knew me because for a short time we’d both worked in children’s ministry.

Finally, I said, “I’m glad you liked the devotion, Carol. That means a lot to me. But I’m surprised you didn’t recognize my name.” Then I told her that on the previous Sunday, she and her husband had been sitting next to me in church.

People say all the time, “What a small world.” To some extent, I disagree. I’ve discovered that, with Christ is in my life, he’s opened it up and made it larger in ways I would never have conceived.

“You have heard of this hope before in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God” (Colossians 1:5-6).

Top Ten Reasons It’s Cool to Be Christ-like

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If you’re serious about being like Jesus, here you go with some great ways to follow his lead.

  1. Jesus lived a sinless life. 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:19
  1. Jesus prayed for His friends–and some people He’d never met. John 17:6-26
  1. Jesus submitted to authority. John 12:49-50; Luke 22:42
  1. Jesus forgives everyone. Everyone, no matter what they did or do. Luke 23:34; 1 John 1:9
  1. Jesus never compromised the truth. Mark 8:34-35; John 8:10-11
  1. Jesus guided people into truth without hitting them over the head with it. Matthew 5-7; Luke 24:25-27
  1. Jesus is full of joy and peace–and shares it. John 14:27; John 15:11
  1. Jesus kept his priorities straight and was good at time management. Mark 1:35-39
  1. Jesus attended parties, enjoying fellowship with all types of people. Luke 7:36-38; Matthew 9:10; John 2:1,2

And the Number One Reason it’s cool to be Christ-like:

Jesus loves everyone, even those who don’t like Him and those who disagree with Him. Matthew 23:37

Sweet Tea and a Distasteful Flavor

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“There’s a Fly in my Tea! The Importance of Maintaining a Christian Testimony;                By Crystal L. Ratcliff;  CrossLink Publishing 2016

A Book Review

Crystal Ratcliff, has presented a metaphor we can probably all relate to whether we drink our tea sweet or otherwise. Flies are pesky and dirty. We don’t want them crawling on the rim of our glass. The metaphor fits perfectly for the subject of this 11-session Bible study about our witness for Jesus. The cover design adds beautifully to the “ewwww” factor.

Maintaining a sweet, pure Christian testimony, says Ratcliff, means doing many things she believes we can learn from the life of the Apostle Peter. Her first lesson, however, gets someone off on the right foot before the study begins. She challenges her readers to examine their lives in light of their personal salvation and person relationship with the Lord. Since the book is meant to be studied with others, discussing these answers honestly can only be of benefit to each member and to the group itself.

Ratcliff’s style is relaxed and her tone is friendly. She expects the audience is women and that they share their stories within a group. However, the study could be done independently, if necessary.

The fact that Crystal takes the student right into scripture helps them to see how it relates to other scriptures. The lessons include just enough related verses to help the reader understand the lesson and how the lesson should be applied. An aspect of the study I appreciated was her openness regarding her own failings. Done in a safe environment, sharing what keeps us coming back to Jesus for help aids in discussion.

Subjects covered over the eleven-session study are trusting God totally; keeping my focus on God; walking in the Spirit in relation to how we spend our time; and believing who Jesus says he is versus the world’s view of him.

Ratcliff also mentions the tendency Christians have to witness about their church rather than being a sweet and pure witness for Christ alone. In her own way she says we would do better to point people to Jesus rather than a specific church body or denomination.

No church is perfect, she says, because no people are perfect. We all need to learn to pray more faithfully, forgive more quickly, and serve in love. But “our goal in studying this,” she says, “should be to protect ourselves from being an ‘offender.’”

To some readers, “There’s a Fly in my Tea” will seem like a course in Bible 101. If that’s the case, let me suggest you become the person Jesus commanded you to be and disciple others by leading them through this short study. Those new to the Christian faith will certainly get some of their questions answered. Recruit a couple of your more mature Christian friends to join in and they will help teach the younger women, which is a biblical principle taught by Paul.

The narrative sections are refreshing to anyone who even remotely understands the importance of a relationship with Jesus. The lists of questions at the end of each chapter (never more than 6-8) are just challenging enough to keep us teachable.

 

The reviewer received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program. The opinions expressed are those of the reviewer.

 

Using Good Grammar

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As my children were growing up I often corrected their grammar. Naturally, they were annoyed, but a good parent doesn’t want his child to someday jeopardize his or her chances in life using the wrong tenses or double negatives. I believed it was for their own good. Even though I often didn’t get no satisfaction. (That double negative is on purpose, folks.)

God, the perfect parent, for my own good, showed me some poor grammar I was using and let me know I was in the wrong. I repeatedly used the double positive “Yeah, right,” which automatically becomes a negative, canceling the meaning it’s meant to convey.

“Yeah, right” conveys disbelief. The phrase means “No” or “I disagree.” Or “Not true.” We often use it in a sarcastic manner.

At one time, I prided myself for the way I could come up with sarcastic remarks. Many of them were aimed at myself. Then I learned that the word sarcasm comes from a Greek verb, sarcazo, which means “to tear flesh.” Since then, I’m more aware of my sarcasm habit.

Sarcasm used against myself formerly had its place in my normal use of the language because it seemed to relieve me of part of the guilt I felt due to my lifestyle. Using it seemed to give me an out because I was admitting just how awful I was. That might sound like I was being honest, but–honestly–it was a weak self-defense.pleasing thoughts bubble

Self-putdowns now send up red flags. My use of them most often comes in the form of doubts about myself. Using put-downs, however, is a difficult habit to break.

Again, my perfect parent shows me how wrong I can be. When I sit in his presence and really listen to what he has to say, he speaks to me with unconditional love. Because he loves me, he will correct me. He shows me the difference between how I speak about myself and how he truly feels about me. He lets me know that “Yeah, right” leaves me with the wrong idea of who I am now that I belong to him.

God has a much higher opinion of me than I have of myself. When I remember that my identity is first of all related to being his child, the doubts go away. I’m certainly not perfect, but children usually want to please their parents. I’m sure “tearing flesh,” mine or that of someone else, doesn’t please him.

Do you always remember, when you’ve failed in some way, that he loves you with an everlasting love? Sometimes it can be difficult for us to accept, but we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each of us is a treasure to him and he has ordained each day of our lives, expecting and enabling us to do great things.

Yes, that’s right. He does.

(Now that’s correct use of grammar and a fine affirmation.)

Father, thank you for always reminding me of my true identity. I count on you to show me how my negative thoughts can affect my words and my behavior. I pray that you will guide me into the truth every moment so that my actions will draw others to your truth as well.

Goin’ Fishing

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“Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I’ll go fishing.”

Last week “Whatever” spoke to the importance of sharing with others our story of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. This week, I’m offering a book review dealing with the same subject: evangelism.

Purple Fish
By Mark O. Wilson

The topic is evangelism. Or is it fishing? In Mark O. Wilson’s book, Purple Fish, both activities become his topic. The book is peppered with stories of Jesus–and everyday people–“fishing for men.” You’ll also find stories about fishing for…well…fish.

The title comes from a Greek word, kalchaino, meaning “to search for the purple fish.” The purple fish referred to is highly treasured because of the deep purple dye found in this particular shellfish. Therefore, the treasured purple fish became the metaphor for Mark’s book.

fish-cover-2The purple fish secret, according to Wilson, is “more about attitude and perspective than technique.” And that’s why he doesn’t use “techniques.” Naturally, Wilson has advice for going forward with evangelism efforts. At the top of the list is prayer. If he has any kind of technique, it comes from his acrostic for finding connecting points with people.

Discussing Family, Interests, Situations, and Hurts with people, he says, helps us to find our common humanity and opens the door to telling the Good News of Christ. Wilson contends, like many, that evangelism is a process. He also spends time encouraging those with ichthyophobia (fears associated with sharing the gospel.)

Purple Fish is a book with simple ideas for evangelism, patterned after Christ’s model of meeting people where they are and approaching in love. Jesus didn’t follow the same method with each encounter and Wilson says this is the key to being the “second witness” in witnessing. The first witness of course, he says, is the Holy Spirit.

With thirty-three chapters, the book might seem daunting, but each is a quick read with no chapter longer than seven pages. If you’re the type that gets caught up in a book and says, “I just have to get through this next chapter,” this book is a cinch for you.

Because the book is written so simply and can be downright entertaining at times, Purple Fish will work well with small groups as well as an adjunct to a sermon series. Rather than being a text book-style reading on how to win people to Jesus, the book seriously and cheerfully mixes stories of fishing for fish and fishing for…well…people.

Mark Wilson is a seasoned pastor when it comes to evangelism, having taught nontraditional ministerial students through the Wesleyan FLAME program. He’s developed and put into practice methods that take people into the mission field of their own cities and neighborhoods. From the examples–he calls them ‘treasure hunts’–noted in this book, if his charges aren’t convinced before they begin of God’s power to draw people to Himself, they are convinced at the end of the day.