Tag Archives: sharing the Gospel

August 16 – At Any Cost

Jeremiah 26-29

If you are reading this blog you are probably sitting in air-conditioning, or looking at your cell phone with a cup of coffee in your hand. I know that is an exaggeration, but most of us have to admit we’re pretty comfortable.

Most of us go about our day without too much difficulty, and I would imagine none of us fear we’re gong to be killed today just because we love Jesus. Not so in some parts of our world. The reality is, some people WILL die today because they are Christians.

Jeremiah was facing death because he was a true prophet of God. He told it like God told him to tell it, and refused to tickle the ears of the people, or to be politically correct. Listen to what he said to those who had given him a death sentence:

… The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will change his mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you. But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing. (26:12b-15) (emphasis mine)

In the face of death, he didn’t back down. Jeremiah was willing to die. But he was determined to live for God at any cost.

Does that describe me? Am I determined to follow Christ even if it costs me friendships, a career, a dream, my health, my life? I pray that I will live every day unashamed of the Gospel, that I will not compromise the Truth “for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

At any cost.

August 14 – Kill The Messenger

Leave a reply

Jeremiah 18-22

Being a prophet of God in Jeremiah’s day must have been a hard, often thankless job. People only wanted to hear good news. And, let’s face it, those prophets didn’t often come bearing good news.

When hearing that God was about to discipline His disobedient children, or worse, destroy them, their reaction was no different than ours today. They got mad at the prophet. Kill the messenger! Jeremiah was beaten and put in stocks for telling the truth.

No one likes to hear they are wrong, that they deserve punishment, that they are sinners in need of a Savior. I get that. Sometimes we who proclaim the Gospel are hated.

What is our reaction to their response? Do we water down the Truth so it goes down a bit easier? Do we edit the Gospel so as not to offend? Do we just quit sharing the Gospel because we fear rejection? Do we convince ourselves that if God wants that person saved, he’ll be saved with or without me, so it might as well be without me?

Satan must love it when we wimp out.

Folks, people aren’t going to always pat you on the back when you talk about sin.

Talk about it anyway.

They aren’t always going to thank you for sharing the Gospel.

Share it anyway.

You might be rejected, even hated, for your faithfulness.

Be faithful anyway.

Because God promises to be faithful to you, even if they want to kill the messenger.

July 6 – Scared Courage

Leave a reply

2 Kings 9-11

Has God ever asked you to do anything really scary? Maybe change careers, confront a loved one about sin in their life, talk to your neighbor about Jesus? It’s ok to be afraid – as long as you obey.

Someone has said courage is fear in action. It is not absence of fear.

Elisha asked a young man to go to Jehu, anoint him king over Israel, then flee. That sounds like a dangerous mission to me. King Joram and King Ahaziah were both firmly established as kings of Judah and Israel at the time. What Elisha asked his servant to do was treason. It could cost him his life.

The young man demonstrated courage by obeying. But I have to confess I had a laugh-outloud moment when I read about it in chapter 9.

The servant approached Jehu who was sitting with his buddies. “Can I talk to you privately?” the servant asked. Jehu might have rolled his eyes, and gave his pals a quick smirk. But he went with the servant into the house. The servant poured oil on Jehu’s head, then told him what God had said to Elisha about Jehu becoming King of Israel. Then, and this is what made me laugh, the servant turned tail and ran out of the house, leaving an oily and surprised Jehu in his wake.

I pictured someone opening a door a crack to throw a bone to a snarling, barking doberman, then slamming the door shut as fast as they can, and running away.

Actually, the servant had reason to get out of there as fast as he could. What he had just done was really, really scary.

That’s what God asks of us. We don’t have to conquer our fear before we do what God has laid on our hearts. We just need to give that fear to God – and obey. God will give us the courage exactly when we need it, if we but trust Him. He will go with us, give us words to say, and get the job done, even if our knees are weak and our hands are shaking.

You might want to put on your running shoes. God has something for you to do today.

June 28 – Preach It!

Leave a reply

I Kings 15:25-16:34

When Jehoshaphat became king he shook things up a bit. His father, Asa, had gone through the motions of worshiping God, but that was as far as it went. Jehoshaphat, however, realized the Jews had gotten so far from obeying God’s law he sent missionaries throughout Judah to teach the people.

It wasn’t enough for Jehoshaphat to believe. He wanted everyone to turn to God.

I would encourage us today to take a page from the life of King Jehoshaphat. Are you satisfied with the fact that you’re ok? You’ve accepted Jesus as your Savior and are assured you are going to heaven. Do you sit back in your salvation and let those around you fend for themselves?

Jehoshaphat made a decision to share the Truth with everyone around. Isn’t that a decision we’re called to make, too? Didn’t Jesus tell us to make disciples of those in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our towns, in our countries, and in our world?

Then Jesus promised to go with us in this effort, even until the end of time itself. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Preach it, dear one!

April 1 – It’s No Joke

Leave a reply

Judges 6&7

Sometimes obeying God can be scary. God told Gideon to tear down his father Joash’s Asherah pole and the altar of Baal. Gideon obeyed. But he did it at night because he was afraid of his dad. As it turned out, the neighbors were more angry than Gideon’s father. Joash told his neighbors that if Baal was such a great god, let Baal take care of Gideon for destroying the altar. Gideon’s dad had his son’s back after all.

God wanted Gideon to attack Midian, promising him victory with only 300 men. But Gideon got cold feet. He sneaked into the Midian camp during the night to check things out for himself. You know, in case God overlooked a detail or two.

What Gideon heard two Midianite soldiers say to each other there in the middle of the night affirmed to Gideon that God was going to help him win the battle.

God doesn’t always ask us to do the safe or comfortable things in Jesus’ name. Befriending that grouchy neighbor might scare you to death. Teaching the Bible study in your home, or taking a stand at work, or running for political office, or going to Africa to share the Gospel, or quitting smoking, or walking away from an ungodly relationship, or asking someone to forgive you can be scary.

God might be nudging you to do something way out of your comfort zone, and you are tempted to think, “This has to be a joke.”

Hear God say, if He asks you to do it, He will go before you, He will be your strength, He will give you the victory. God is very serious about using you today to win the war against Satan.

If you feel the nudge of God to talk to someone about the Savior, rest assured it’s no joke. Gather your courage and do it. God promises to be right there with you every step of the way.

Get Out There And Get To Work

2 Replies

God is in no hurry to come again. Peter tells us in his second letter that God’s patience gives people time to be saved. (verse 15) Time, as we know it, doesn’t exist for God. A day is like a thousand years to him and he’s willing to wait a few more days if it means another soul will accept his grace.

We Christians are commanded to go into the world and preach the Gospel in order for people to hear about and accept this grace. I hope you aren’t content, believing people should come to church to be saved. It’s just not the way God intended it. If you’re concerned about “branding” your church to attract non-believers, you’re concerned about the wrong thing. The Bible clearly teaches our concern should be our neighbor, our co-worker, our family. We Christians need to hit the streets and get to know unsaved people in order to love them to the Savior.

Recently, a church in our area took a benevolent offering on a Sunday morning. The preacher and a deacon took the money that was collected, went out into their community, and started talking to people. They learned the story of a hard working, needy neighbor and handed over the $200 in Jesus’ name. The next Sunday, the pastor shared the story with the congregation, and they took up another collection. This time they collected $430. There is a waitress in town who, after sharing her story with the pastor and deacon, got the biggest tip of her life. And that waitress knows she received that financial help because Jesus loves her.

A Sunday School teacher in the church gave each of her students $1 and challenged them to pass it on to someone in need. Some of the kids gave their dollar away, some added their own allowances and money from their piggy banks and gave a little more. One youngster was at Walmart. He bought a wool scarf and gave it to the old man ringing bells for the Salvation Army… in Jesus’ name.

So I’m asking all of us, how are we handling the Great Commission to go into our world and share Jesus? God wants us to walk with people, share their lives, demonstrate kindness, love, patience, support in Jesus’ name.

After all, isn’t that what God Himself did 2000 years ago? Wasn’t he born in a manger? Didn’t he put on human flesh and walk with us, sharing life with us, demonstrating kindness, love and patience? Didn’t he die so we might live?

This Christmas, as we celebrate the baby in the manger, my prayer is that we will recognize the significance of this act, God in human form. Why did he do that? There are so many wonderful reasons! But just maybe one of the reasons is that he wants us to follow his example, to get out there, and get to work.

May he find us faithful.

I’m praying that all who read this will have a blessed Christmas with family and friends. May we worship the Savior with fellow believers, and may we all be intentional about sharing the wonderful news of Jesus with the people around us.