Tag Archives: witnessing

August 1

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Jeremiah 7:1-8:3, 11:1-17, 15:10-21, 22:18-23, 35:1-19

What is it that your unsaved friends see in you that’s different – better – than what they have? What is that tangible sign that sets you apart as a believer in Jesus Christ? I hope it’s more than the fact that you attend church every Sunday. Millions of people do that and still don’t know the Lord. I hope it’s more than that you call yourself a Christian because ‘Christian’ means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

Can your friends identify Christ in your life by the purity of your speech or do you use vulgar language and tell the same off-colored jokes as they? Do you go to movies with blatant sin and call it entertainment? Do you watch those sit-coms and laugh at things that disgust God?

The Recabites chose not to drink alcohol. (yes, not everyone in the Bible drank wine) These people had made a vow and were determined to keep it. They stood out in the crowd. Their life-style identified them as sons of Recab.

The world is looking for a sign. And they are looking at us. We can stand apart and still be actively involved in the lives of our unsaved friends. Don’t think you have to look like them to win them. Look like Christ and they will be sure to be drawn to you.

Let our life-style look different than that of the unsaved. Let’s stand out because of the choices we make. And let’s show a lost world that serving Christ is the best, most awesome life-style ever!

July 28

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Nahum 1:1-3:19; 2 Kings 23:1-28; 2 Chronicles 35:1-19

I’m not young. I’m not quite ready for the home yet but the calendar (and that darned mirror) tell me the days of my youth are long past. 

As I read about King Josiah’s reign I find myself evaluating my own life. What we read today occurred when Josiah was 26 years young. He had been king for eighteen years by that time. This young man worked tirelessly to bring the Jewish nation back to its former glory as the people chosen by God. 

He accomplished more – so much more- in his young life than I who have lived more than twice as many years as he.

I am convicted this morning. I may not have the stamina Josiah had or the power he enjoyed but God has things for me to do that are just as important to the kingdom. 

As I look at my life I realize there were so many missed opportunities, so many things I could have done but didn’t. 

I’m not saying my life has been futile exactly. I am saying however, I’m sad I didn’t do more. When I think about how much God has done for me, what Jesus did for me, I am ashamed of what I have given back.

But wait! My heart is still beating and my limbs still move (more slowly maybe but they get the job done). God still wants to use me. There are still souls who need the Savior.

So I can continue to think about what might have been or I can begin today to do the work God has called me to do. While I still have breath I want to serve Him, I want to be his voice, his arms to reach out to the lost. Lord, use me today.

Father, I pray for all of us today who know you as our Savior. Your Word makes it plain that age makes no difference in your kingdom. All of us have jobs to do to spread the good news of the gospel. Give us strength. Help us to recognize opportunities. And may you find us faithful. May our lives be lived in gratitude for what you have done for each of us.

June 28

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Hosea 4:1-5:7; Jonah 1:1-4:11; 2 Kings 14:24-28, 15:8-16

Long story short: God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah thought he had a better idea and headed for Tarshish. God sent a storm so the sailors threw Jonah overboard. God provided a fish. After three days in the fish God caused the fish to vomit Jonah up. Where? Nineveh. Jonah preached. 120,000 people were saved. Jonah pouted. See, I told you that would happen, Lord. God provided shade for Jonah while he stubbornly waited for God to destroy Nineveh. Jonah liked the shade. God killed the vine that provided the shade. Jonah pouted. God tells Jonah to get over himself.

Many lessons can be gleaned from Jonah’s story. But I think God’s asking us today if we are guilty of picking and choosing with whom we share Jesus. 

Go into prisons? Seriously, God, there are criminals there.

Preach in the inner city? Not me! There are druggies and prostitutes and gang members there.

Befriend a homeless person for Jesus’ sake? He’s just a dead-beat, God.

What about sharing Christ with that person at work who has said some awful things about you or that neighbor who is too lazy to mow his lawn? What about homosexuals, unwed moms, alcoholics, child abusers? What about Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Satanists?

And how about that person who comes to your church with dirty hair and body odor? What about the one who comes with tattoos and rings in her eyebrows? 

Are we going to be like Jonah and say this person deserves God’s forgiveness but this one doesn’t? I doubt God is going to physically pick any of us up and drop us in the middle of downtown or on the streets of Iran. But we have to know he is serious about not wanting ANY to perish but for everyone to receive him. And he is calling us to share his Gospel with others regardless of our personal opinion of them.

If God is nudging you toward sharing him with someone you don’t like or to go somewhere you don’t want to go, I think he just might be telling you today to get over yourself.

Heavenly Father, help us to view mankind like you do. Help us to see all people as ones for whom Christ died. May we be willing to go where you want us to go, share you with others in spite of personal prejudices because you are preparing hearts to receive you. May we not be guilty of the sin of Jonah and try to withhold your grace from someone we decide doesn’t deserve you because in reality, we don’t deserve you, either. May you find us obedient today.

June 26

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Amos 2-6

God is angry with the Jewish people. Amos reminds them the lengths to which God has gone to get their attention in order to bring them back to himself. But they still disobey. They still cling to evil and despise him who tells the truth.

God is telling Israel about the destruction that is coming as a consequence for their disobedience. I know there are different interpretations of “the day of the Lord” and what that means to us in 2013. I, myself, have strong opinions. But if Amos is talking about the rapture in 5:16-20 we need to take note.

I cringe when I hear someone say, “Bring back the King”, or say that this world is just too corrupt they wish God would just come back and end it all. These people may believe that lost souls will continue to be saved once the church is removed but I’m not so sure about that.

Amos says – woe to you who long for the day of the Lord. It’s going to be so much worse than you can imagine.

I would suggest that as Christians our prayer needs to be, tarry Lord. I still haven’t reached my neighbor, my brother, my co-worker for you. There is still so much to do before you come back, dear Jesus.

Instead of throwing our hands up in defeat, maybe we should get off our couches and get out there where people need to know the Lord. There are people who will spend eternity in hell if we don’t. 

June 15

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I Kings 17-19

Elijah has to be one of my favorite Old Testament characters. This prophet of God stood up to Ahab, but ran in fear of Jezebel. I wonder what he thought about taking bread and meat from ravens.

Elijah prayed for a widow and her flour and oil were never used up during the famine. He even prayed for her dying son and the boy was healed. And Elijah had a little fun taunting the prophets of Baal.

But here’s what spoke to me today. Elijah could challenge those 450 prophets because he knew Baal was not a god of any kind. It wasn’t that Elijah “believed” that Baal was no threat. Elijah knew Baal had no power. He knew without a doubt that no amount of praying or dancing or shouting could produce fire on Baal’s altar. And you know what? Elijah didn’t feel the need to apologize for being sure about that, either.

Elijah repeatedly and very publicly challenged them because Elijah knew the Truth.

How sure are you that the Bible is true and God is who he says he is? How sure are you that Jesus is the only way to God? Are you convinced that Christianity is the only true theology? Can you stand up for God without apology?

I am not asking you what you believe. I’m asking you what you know to be true. Have you experienced the life-changing presence of God as you ask Jesus to be your Savior? Do you see him work in your life and in the lives of others? Do you recognize his power in creation?

If God asked, would you defend him as publicly as Elijah did that day? Would I?

Father, may your children know you. May we define what we know is true. May we never apologize for knowing the truth. And may we be ready to put ourselves out there because we are sure that you are who you say you are.

June 3

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Proverbs 22:1-24:22

Have you ever been bitten by the green-eyed monster? You see your neighbor, who is vocal about his dislike for Christians, drive up in his new luxury car while you are praying you can coax one more year out of your 2000 SUV. Or that guy at work keeps getting promoted and you know he spends his weekends in a bottle and you catch him lying to the bosses. Here you are, working like crazy, living a life set apart to honor God and you keep getting overlooked when promotions are given. 

Proverbs 23:17-18 says: Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

You know that “do not envy” is another of God’s top ten commandments, don’t you? There is a reason for that. Envy, like any sin, eats away at our joy, our peace and contentment. It causes us to doubt God and drives a wedge between us and the Lord. The more we feed it, the bigger and more destructive it gets. 

Remember that everything that happens in this life is intended to draw all people to God. He is not willing that that neighbor or co-worker should perish and we don’t know what God is using in their lives to draw them to himself. It might be that car or that promotion. 

Is God opening a door for you to talk with your neighbor about his new car? Does God want your neighbor to see Jesus in you? Does God want to use you to represent him in your workplace whether or not you get a promotion? If we allow jealousy to enter our lives we cannot do what God wants us to, intends for us to do.

Father God, it’s kind of hard sometimes to watch a sinful world get ahead while we who follow you struggle. It’s tempting to want what they have, to join in their fun, or cut corners to get ahead. God help us who love you to be zealous for the fear of the Lord. To be the people you intend for us to be, to allow you to use us to reveal you to our world, and to be thankful for the privilege no matter what our circumstance. Our future, our hope is in you.

June 1

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Proverbs 16-18

Years ago I went through Evangelism Explosion training. I don’t want to get into a discussion about the program itself but I will say I saw people give their hearts to the Lord after hearing the gospel presented using it.

The words of 16:25 are repeated several times in the book of Proverbs. We’ve already read it in 14:12. Through EE you ask the person, if you died today do you know for sure you would go to heaven? Why would Jesus let you in? If their answer was something like – I’m a good person, I go to church, I haven’t murdered anyone, or I don’t know, we would share that the Bible was written so they could know for sure they have eternal life, then we would ask permission to tell them how they can know it, too.

Proverbs 16:25 and other exciting verse are used in EE to demonstrate that God’s way is the only way to get into heaven, no matter how good we think we might be. I haven’t used EE in decades but reading this proverb took me back to those days and that training.

Do you know how to share your faith with a non-believer? For most of us it’s hard. I’m not advocating a memorized presentation because sometimes it can sound insincere But I would challenge us all to sit down and write out what we believe. Look up Scripture that spoke to your heart and led you to the Savior. Cement in your mind why you believe and be ready to give an answer to the next person who asks you to give a reason why you are a Christian.

We are called to share the gospel. It’s not a suggestion. It’s a commission. Are you ready?

Dear God, I pray for your children. May we prepare ourselves to get out there and share your Truth. Help us to really grasp the reality, Lord, that there might be things that make sense to non-believers but in the end, without you they face an eternity in hell. Help us to speak out in love. Help us to recall Scripture that would draw an unsaved soul to the saving grace of your dear Son.

May 9

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Psalms 3, 4, 11, 23, 26, 12, 36; 2 Samuel 16:1-14

I’m sure when David wrote these psalms he couldn’t have imagined what life would be like in 2013. But God knew. And what he inspired David to write he knew would speak to hearts then and now.

“Help, Lord, for the godly are no more.” And that was written long before reality TV was the rage.

David wrote, “we own our lips… who is our master” before freedom of speech was an amendment to any constitution.

Psalm 36 talks about the wicked who don’t fear God and who think so highly of themselves they don’t recognize sin in their own lives. I’ve heard even some preachers who call themselves Christian say how important it is that we love ourselves, that we find strength within us, that we are worthy and capable. I’m not seeing that in Scripture.

I pray that God would continue to speak to us through his written word and that he would find his people pouring over the pages looking for direction, encouragement, correction and truth.

As we read each day I pray God will be able to teach us because we are willing to be taught. Then may we go about our day, set apart, and ready to use what we learn to lead someone to Christ.

God, I thank you for inspiring men like David to write down the words you would have us read in 2013. I thank you that it spoke to people in David’s day and that it still has power to change lives today. May it change mine.

April 22

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2 Samuel 22, Psalms 14, 53, 1 Samuel 26

The fool says in his heart that there is no God. I don’t get how anyone can deny God when there is so much evidence surrounding us. Evidence that points to God as Creator, Powerful, Merciful. 

I would think that those of us who read today’s Scripture and this blog know that God is who he says he is. We believe.

But wait. How does my belief in God translate to my day-to-day? What is it I believe about God?

Scripture tells us God is the one true God. It tells us he is holy, the Creator of this world. It tells us that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one can get to God except through him. Scripture tells me that Jesus died on a cross so that my sins can be forgiven. And it tells me one day every knee will bow before him and even the fool who said there is no God will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and God is real.

Scripture tells me that God demands holiness of us. He put down a set of rules we must live by. Breaking those rules… sin… has only one outcome. Death. It also tells me he provided a way for us to be forgiven of all our sin.

Scripture warns us that those who accepted Jesus in this life time will go to heaven. All others will spend eternity in hell. Period.

So if I truly believe that God is God and his Word is true, if I understand people will go to hell without him, that there is just no other way… why aren’t I doing more to share him with my friends, neighbors, and family? 

It’s not just the ones who deny God who are fools. We who know God and don’t share him just might be the biggest fools of all.

Father, I believe. Yet I have foolishly ignored opportunities to share your truth with friends and loved ones. Forgive me and help me to recognize your leading, to be faithful to you, and to introduce someone to the one true God who loves them and gave himself for them.

April6

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Judges 19&20

It’s hard to read these two chapters. The violence and cruelty are unspeakable. Men lusting after other men, abusing women, and civil war show the nation of Israel is no better than the other nations around them. In fact, they are worse because they know the Truth. They know God. And they live like they don’t.

Beware, dear Christian. Just because we live in the twenty-first century doesn’t mean the rules have changed. It doesn’t mean the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of 2013. Truth is still Truth and holiness means the same today as it did back then.

I’m sad to think the lines between God’s people and the world are becoming so blurred we might not be any better than those who don’t know the Truth. We should be more moral, more kind, more honest, more joyful, more eager to help a neighbor than anyone else. And we should love our neighbors with God’s love.

Can we offer them something better than what they have right now? We should. And if we offer it, would they even recognize the Truth in us?

Father, may your people set themselves apart from the world in our speech and actions. May others see something in us that is better than what they have without you. May we determine today to be holy and stand for the Truth as revealed to us in your Word.