Christian Foundations

Knowing God's Word

2009-06-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

Our first line of defense against the attack of sin is a knowledge of God's Word. Psalm 119:9-11 says, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments. Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.''

The Bible gives us God's perfect standard of right and wrong. By learning the principles taught in Scripture, we can know what God wants us to do and avoid sin.

If you want to please God, you must study the Bible. If you want strength to defeat sin, you must give the Holy Spirit ammunition to use. This means memorizing Bible passages. Each of us has weaknesses in different areas. When we discover a weakness within ourselves, we should memorize Scriptures dealing with that weakness. These Scriptures will help us to overcome sin in these areas.

For example, if you often say things that you regret, you might memorize James 3:6, which tells us, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.'' Remembering this verse will help you to think before speaking.

Overcoming Sin

2009-05-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

In Romans chapter seven Paul gives an account of his struggle with sin. He wrote, "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.'' (Romans 7:21-25)

This passage describes the war that every Christian has raging within him: a war between selfish desires and the Holy Spirit that lives within his spirit. In my next few posts in this blog, I will give a some hints on how to win the war against sin.

Fruit of the Spirit

2009-05-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

The fruit of the spirit is evidence that a person is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Spirit means to be controlled by Him. In other words, a person who is filled with the Spirit of God will obey God and His Word. He will live a sanctified and pure life.

In Galatians 5:22,23, the Apostle Paul lists the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He wrote, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.''

Here is the divine test that we can use to judge if a person is walking in the Spirit or not. This is the divine test that we can use to judge if we are walking in the Spirit or not. A person who is Spirit filled must demonstrate these characteristics because they are Spirit given.

The closer a person is to God and the more mature as a Christian he becomes, the easier it will be to detect the Spirit's fruit within his life. By this we should judge our Christian walk. It is our day to day lives that show how close to God we are.

Spiritual Gifts of Ministry

2009-05-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

There has been such an overemphasis in the last few years on the miraculous spiritual gifts that other aspects of the Holy Spirit's work have been ignored. Miraculous spiritual gifts are not for today. However, the Holy Spirit does give Christians gifts of ministry.

Consider the Apostle Paul's teaching in Romans 12:5-8. He wrote, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.''

These gifts are not miraculous gifts. When Paul mentions the gift of prophecy in this chapter, he is referring to proclaiming the truth not telling the future.

There are several important facts that we need to understand about these gifts of ministry. First, every Christian has some gift of ministry. The Apostle Peter wrote about the same type of gifts as Paul discusses in Romans 12. In 1 Peter 4:10,11, Peter wrote, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.''

Peter is not writing of miraculous gifts. There is nothing in the context that would support that. He is speaking about using gifts of ministry to support and help one another within the local community of believers.

Notice, Peter states that every Christian has one of these gifts of ministry. Every Christian has a part to play in serving God. It is not the job of clergy to do all the work of the Church. Every member has a part to play.

This is what Paul taught in Ephesians 4:11,12. Paul wrote, “And He gave some, apostles; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.''

According to the Apostle Paul, the leaders in a Church are to prepare God's people for the work. The leaders in a congregation are not to do all the work. They are to train, teach and encourage the membership to do the work.

Christian friend, God has given you a special capacity, a gift of ministry, to be used in His service. You will find joy and peace as you faithfully use God's gift to help others.

Miraculous Spiritual Gifts

2009-04-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

When we consider the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, the most important Biblical passage to consider is 1 Corinthians 12-14. These three chapters contain the most complete discussion of this topic in the Bible.
Because of the current conflict over this doctrine, every Christian should prayerfully study this section of Scripture. As Christians we should do all things according to the Bible. God's Word must be the basis for what we believe: not man's opinion, not our feelings, not our understanding.
For our lesson, let us concentrate on one section from these chapters. 1 Corinthians 13 is the great love chapter of the Bible. Beginning with verse 8, the Apostle Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit begins to compare love with the miraculous spiritual gifts.
Verses 8 and 9 read, “Charity (i.e. love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.''
This passage makes it clear that the miraculous gifts being practiced by the early Christian Churches would come to an end. They were not permanent. Love lasts forever, but these other gifts are temporary.
Paul tells us why they are temporary. They are incomplete. They do not provide us with a complete picture of what God wants us to know. In the next verse Paul tells us when they will end and then in verse 11 he illustrates what he is saying.
Paul wrote, ``But when that which is perfect is come, than that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.''
This is the area in which controversy comes. What was Paul speaking about when he said ``when that which is perfect is come?'' Paul has just been talking about knowledge. What is our source of perfect knowledge? What can we trust to be absolute truth? What is perfect and complete?
It would be good to consider what the book of James tells us. In James 1:22-25, we are told, ``But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh in the PERFECT law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.''
James tells us that God's Word is perfect. It is our source of perfect and complete knowledge: all that God wants us to know about spiritual matters. James also compares God's Word to a mirror.
Back in 1 Corinthians 13, the next verse, verse 12 says, ``For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face (i.e. clearly): now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.''
When Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church, the New Testament was not complete. There was much that they did not yet understand. Once the Bible was completed, after John wrote Revelation, the perfect Word of God was complete. No further revelation is needed.
The miraculous spiritual gifts were used in the first century of Christianity to prove who was of God and who was not. Two men might visit the Church at Rome. Both say that they are teaching the truth. Yet what they say may disagree. The Church did not have the New Testament to study to know who was telling the truth. How could they know?
The one to whom God had given the power to do miracles was the one telling the truth. Maybe, he was an unlearned man from Galilee, but he would start talking in Latin. Maybe, there would be someone sick present and he would heal them. These signs would prove that he was preaching the truth.
Once the New Testament was complete these miracles were no longer needed and they ceased. We do not need them today. We have God's perfect Word.

Spiritual Gifts

2009-04-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead. He is very active in the world today. He holds this world together by His power. His work of convicting the lost, brings people to a knowledge of their sinful condition.

Those who trust in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells. He brings their spirit into fellowship with God. He gives them eternal life. He empowers them that they might live pure and holy lives before God. He reveals sin in their lives that they might turn from it and forsake it. Within every saved person the Holy Spirit of God is at work.

In the next few posts in this blog will consider three aspects of the Holy Spirit's work. We will consider the miraculous spiritual gifts, the spiritual gifts of ministry and the fruit of the Spirit.

Preaching

2009-04-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

In almost every worship service, there is a time when God's Word is read and God's man seeks to apply it to our lives. This should be the highlight of most services. Yet for many it is the time to take their Sunday nap!

The Bible is God's message for us. We should honour and respect His Word. When it is read, it is God speaking! We should listen prayerfully and attentively, asking ourselves, ``What does God want me to do?''

When the speaker begins to explain God's Word, we should also pay close attention. If God's man has sought God's wisdom and understanding, then he will have something to say which we need to hear.

Most preachers put much prayer, study, thought and concern into their messages. They seek to speak in the power of the Holy Spirit. They want to be God's spokesmen and reach the needs of the people.

We should respect their position and responsibility. We should pray that God will be able to speak through them. We should listen carefully that we might hear what God would say to us.

The Lord's Supper

2009-04-06T03:30:00.001-07:00

The taking of the Lord's Supper is also an act of worship. It is a very solemn event and should cause us to seriously think about our relationship with God. The Lord's Supper should only be taken by believers, those who have placed their faith in Christ.

The Lord's Supper is symbolic. The bread represents the body of Jesus that was broken for us. He was beaten, nails were driven through his hands and feet, a sword was thrust in his side. The grape juice or wine represents the blood of Jesus, the blood that constantly dripped from his broken body on that day when he was crucified.

When we take the Lord's Supper, it should have an effect upon us. It reminds us of the death of Christ: His blood that was shed and His body that was broken. It reminds us that we are not saved by the good things we have done, but by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. It reminds us of how much Jesus has done for us and how little we have done for Him. It causes us to praise God, to humble ourselves, and to renew our commitment to God.

Baptism

2009-03-25T16:40:00.001-07:00

Another act of worship is Baptism. After a person has trusted in Jesus as Saviour, the first step of obedience is baptism. Baptism is a public testimony that a person has been born again.

When the person being baptized is immersed under the water, he is picturing the death and burial of Jesus. He is saying by his actions that Jesus died in His place. In baptism, he is publicly declaring that he has trusted in the death of Christ to pay for His sins.

When the person comes up from under the water, it is a picture of the resurrection of Christ. Jesus rose from the dead. When we are saved, we die to our old lives and take on a new life obeying God. Baptism pictures this in a public manner.

Being at a service where people are baptized, should lead us to renew our own commitment to God. A person being baptized reminds us that God is still seeking and saving people. It encourages us to go out and witness to those who have never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

It reminds us that we are not alone in serving God. Here is a new Christian taking the first step of obedience to Christ. Here is a new member of God's family publicly announcing that they will follow Christ. It reminds us that when we are gone, others will be there to take our place.

Baptism is important for the individual being baptized and for the encouragement of the Church family.

Giving As Worship

2009-03-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

One activity, which is part of almost every worship service, which we do not always think of as being worship, is the taking up of the offering. To many the offering is viewed as a necessary evil. Yet giving to God our offerings should bring us joy and be a very important part of our worship.

We honour God by giving to His work. We should be thankful that God has provided our needs and that we can give back to Him a portion of what He has given us. We should rejoice because we have something to give.

The Apostle Paul taught some principles of giving. Paul wrote, "Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.'' (Philippians 4:17 19)

There are three major principles taught in this passage. First, giving brings blessing. It truly is more blessed to give than receive. If we give with the right attitude, we feel good and happy.

The second principle is that God is pleased with those who give to His work. Paul said that the offering given by the Church at Philippi had a sweet smell to God.

The final principle is that God supplies the needs of those who support His work. Paul promised the Philippians that God would give them everything they needed because they had supplied his need. If we want God to provide for us, then we should worship Him by giving.

One final word about giving, when we give to God, we should give primarily through our local Church. It is the local Church that God wants to use to send the Gospel around the world. It is the local Church that is God's witness in a community.

The Church that we attend is God's first line of defense against wickedness in our community. It is also where those who will go out and attack the strongholds of Satan should be trained and prepared.

Worship By Prayer

2009-03-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

Prayer is another important part of a public worship service. Although most of our praying should be done privately, there are examples throughout the book of Acts of groups praying together.

In Acts 4:24, we are told that the believers "lifted up their voice to God with one accord.'' In Acts 12:12, the Bible says, "Many were gathered together praying.'' Acts 13:3 states, "When they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.''

We should be careful to keep our public praying general and relevant to the worship service. Public prayer should concentrate on the Missionaries that the Church supports, the ministry of the local Church, specific needs which are public knowledge and thanking God for His blessings.

A public prayer should be something to which all present can "Amen," that is, so be it, or I agree.

Worship by Singing

2009-01-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

When we sing, we should seek to uplift one another and bring glory to God. The Apostle Paul wrote, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.'' (Colossians 3:16,17)

Paul encourages us to sing about God and Jesus. In our singing we are to teach one another, encourage one another, and give thanks to God. Singing is an important part of worship. It helps prepare our hearts and minds for the other parts of the service.

Worship in Church

2008-12-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

The next few posts will be about how we worship the Lord. We will be concentrating specifically on how we worship God in a Church setting, as a body of believers. True worship is based upon our attitude. We can do all the right acts and still God may be displeased with our worship.

Amos told the people of Israel that God said, "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer Me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from Me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.'' (Amos 5:21 23)

God was displeased with Israel not because the acts of worship they did were wrong. They were obeying the laws that God gave to Moses. The problem was that, in their day to day lives, they were dishonoring God. They were living immoral lives and yet they expected God to approve of their worship.

Amos told them to repent. God will not accept our worship if we are practicing an immoral lifestyle. Before we can worship God we must turn from sin and seek to obey Him from day to day. That is essential.

When we gather with other Christians in a worship service, everything we do should be directed towards praising God and bringing Him honor.

Purpose of the Church

2008-11-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

What is the purpose of the Church? Why does it exist?

Just before our Lord returned to heaven, He told His Church what He wanted them to do. In Matthew 28:18 20 we read, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (i.e. disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.'' (KJV)

The Church should tell the lost the Gospel and encourage them to trust in Jesus. The Church is to take the Good News of what Jesus did to the entire world. The Church should baptize only those who have accepted Christ as Savior. The Church should teach believers how to obey Jesus.

And every Christian should be a member of a local Church that is actively doing these things.

Local Church Membership

2008-10-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

When a local Church gathers for worship a wide variety of people might be present. Some who are lost and do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus. Some who are saved but only attend services once every few months. Some who are saved but have not been baptized. Some who usually worship with another congregation. Some who are saved, baptized and attend the services on a regular basis.

When we consider this situation, it should be obvious that attending the service of a Church is not sufficient grounds for a person becoming a member. There must be some requirements for membership. Let us consider what requirements the Bible places upon Church membership.

Acts 2:41 links baptism with addition to Church membership. It says, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.'' (KJV)

This verse indicates that those who were baptized were added to the Church. Throughout the New Testament baptism is portrayed as the minimum step of obedience for all who trust in Christ. Baptism is a public act that testifies that we have accepted Christ as our Savior. The weight of New Testament example favors limiting Church membership to those who have followed Christ in baptism.

Another requirement for membership in a particular Church is commitment to its ministry. In Acts 2:1, we are told that the members of the Church at Jerusalem "were all with one accord (i.e. one purpose) in one place.'' (KJV)

Another requirement for Church membership is continued obedience to Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth, ``But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.'' (1 Corinthians 5:11-13, KJV)

The Church at Corinth was instructed to remove from its membership those who lived lives of habitual and wicked sin. They were to keep the membership of the Church pure and above reproach.

Let me summarize the Scriptural requirements for Church membership. To be a member of a local Church, you must be baptized as a public act testifying that you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, you must be committed to the local Church and its ministry, and you must be living a life free of habitual or public sin. If more Churches would hold to these simple guidelines, there would be less ammunition for the world to use to attack the Lord's Churches.

The Catholic Church

2008-10-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Apostle’s creed states, “I believe in . . . the holy catholic Church, . . .”

The adjective catholic comes from a Greek word that means whole or complete. So the catholic church referred to in the Apostle’s creed is not the Roman Catholic Church or any other denomination, but the complete Church of God, sometimes referred to as the universal church.

Of all the New Testament, the book of Ephesians is best at explaining the concept of the catholic church. Some of its lessons include: Jesus is the head of the church (1:22,23). Believers are, the church is, gathered together in Christ (2:4-10). We are citizens of God’s Kingdom (2:19). The church shows the wisdom of God (3:10). In the church, glory belongs to God (3:21). The church should strive for unity (4:2-6). God gives believers positions of service in the church for its growth (4:11-16). We are called out of the world and its dark actions (4:17-19).

So as the church, believers have been called out of the world. We are gathered together in Christ. God has a plan and a purpose for his people.

It is the church that is responsible for continuing the ministry that Jesus began. We are to continue to help the needy and to share the Gospel with those who are not yet Christian. This work will not finish until all those who will be saved have been reached.

The Local Church

2008-09-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

A local congregation of believers is the most visible manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth. We should not underestimate the importance of our local church. Individual Christians working alone can not accomplish what God desires. God has chosen to do most of His work in this age through believers working together within their community.

A local church is a place where believers can encourage one another. When you are down, others can lift you up. When another is down, you can help lift that person up. If you are not part of a church, there may be no one to give you that helping hand. Scripture tells us, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIV)

A church gives us the opportunity to minister. We use our spiritual gifts and talents to benefit other believers, our community and the world. Our gifts and talents are best used as part of a group where they can compliment the gifts and talents of others. Our weaknesses are offset by the strengths of others. Our strengths offset others’ weaknesses.

Sharing the Gospel, helping the needy, giving hope to the desperate and other acts of love can be accomplished better by a united group of believers than by individuals. Jesus said that the world would know we are his followers by our love for one another. Showing this love is done in community.

Almost since creation, believers have gathered together to worship God. Although we can and should worship God alone in quiet times, there is something special the happens when God’s children gather together to praise and honor the Lord. It gives us a foretaste of what we will experience before the throne in eternity.

We need a local church in order to serve God to the fullest. Our local church needs us to fulfill God’s purpose for her. Every believer should be an active member of a local congregation.

ecclesia

2008-05-07T03:21:00.000-07:00

To understand what a word really means, we should look at its history. The word translated Church in the New Testament is the Greek word, ecclesia. Liddell and Scott's Greek English Lexicon (Harper & Brothers, New York, 1846) is considered by many scholars one of the best ever published. This lexicon states that the primary meaning of ecclesia is, "an assembly of the citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly.''

In the Greek city states, such as Athens and Corinth, the citizens of the city could be called together to debate and vote upon a particular issue. This is the original secular meaning of the word.

Another way to discover what a word means is to break it apart and examine the meaning of its parts. The word, ecclesia, is a combination of two words, ek and klesis. Ek means "out of, from within.'' Klesis means "a calling.'' It can be used of a legal summons to court or an invitation to a feast.

Putting the two words together, you have "out of calling.'' It can be clearly seen how this came to be used of an assembly of citizens. The citizens of the city were called out from among all who might live in the city to attend the meeting. Many of the residents in the city would not be citizens and therefore would not be part of the ecclesia or assembly of citizens.

Follow Up

2008-04-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

If the person makes a commitment, you then have a responsibility to ensure the well being of the new born Christian. If possible introduce him to another Christian and ask the new Christian to tell what he has done. Ask for his name and phone number and give him your phone number. Invite the person to Church, ask him if he knows where it is and find out if transportation is a problem.

Encourage him to read the Bible and make sure he has one. Tell him that he can talk to God in prayer. Encourage him to tell others about his decision. Keep in contact.

The first few weeks of an individual's Christian life are the most important. While his experience of salvation is still fresh in his mind, he is willing to make further steps in the Christian life. If he is quickly established in a fellowship of Christians and receives encouragement during this important time, he will likely continue to grow.

If he is left to his own, he will find it difficult not to slip back into his old life style. One Church did a study and found that only 1 in 6 of those who professed Christ through their ministry became active in their Church. As a result the Church established a follow up program where those who professed Christ were immediately contacted and received extra encouragement for several weeks.

When the Church did another study after this program was established, they discovered that now 5 in 6 of those who professed Christ became active in their Church.

Sharing the Gospel

2008-04-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Once you are comfortable with telling others your testimony, you need to increase your witnessing ability. A new Christian may only be able to share his testimony. However, a person who has been saved for sometime should have much more to say.

Find a simple Gospel outline and begin to memorize it. Memorize the Scriptures that prove each point and be ready to show someone else where the Scriptures are and what they mean.

There are many good Gospel outlines available. One of the most popular is the Romans Road, which uses several verses in the book of Romans to present the Gospel. Some Christians find a good Gospel tract and then use it to share the Gospel.

When you share the Gospel with someone try to make sure that the person understands what you have said by asking him questions. ''Do you understand why Jesus died for you?'' or ''Does this make sense to you?''

Go over anything about which he is not sure.

It is not just enough to know the Gospel in our heads. The inquirer needs to be shown that he must respond to the message, to make a decision to turn from everything he knows to be wrong in his life, to apologize to God, to put his trust in Jesus, to follow Him and to receive the Holy Spirit in order to live the New Life.

We receive the free gift of Eternal Life by Faith, not just believing. The Bible tells us that the demons believe. Scripture states, ''Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils believe and tremble.'' (James 2:19)

A person must not only understand the Gospel, He must also place his trust in Jesus. If the person has understood and has come to the point in his life where he is ready and willing to turn and follow Christ, then ask if he would like to make that step right there and then.

Ask him if he could sincerely pray the commitment prayer at the end of the tract that you are using. Assure him that if he means it from his heart then from that moment he will be a Christian, a follower of Christ. If he is willing, pray first for him then ask him to pray the prayer from the tract.

If you do not have a tract with you, then ask him to repeat what you say as you pray. When he finishes praying, welcome him into the Family of God! Assure him of what he has done by reading one or two suitable verses, like Romans 10:9 and 1 John 5:13.

If the person is not ready or is unwilling to turn and follow Christ, then suggest he take a tract and seriously think about becoming a Christian. Be polite and exchange phone numbers if it is appropriate.

My Personal Testimony

2008-04-13T13:30:00.003-07:00

In a follow up on the previous post, here is a short version of my own testimony.

When I was young, my father deserted our family. After this, I became a loner. I did not want to show emotion, and I had few friends. I came to hate my father. For a time, I kept a baseball bat by the door of our home, ready to use if my father ever showed up.

After a long spiritual journey, one day I had a conversation with an older man who helped me to understand what Jesus accomplished for me on the cross. At that time, I asked God to forgive me, and I became a follower of Christ. I put my trust in Jesus to take care of me in this life and for eternity.

Jesus became my friend. Over time, God began to work on the emotional desert that was my heart. It did not happen all at once, but slowly the hate for my father was replaced by love. I established a relationship with my father again. We never became close, but before he died I could honestly say that I loved him and held no hard feelings towards him.

God and his Spirit are still at work in my life. I am still not all I should be. Making friends is still difficult. But I am not what I once was. God has and is changing me to became what he wants me to be.

I tell people who have been hurt in relationships that no matter who may have betrayed them, there is one person who will always be a true and faithful friend. His name is Jesus.

Your Personal Testimony

2008-04-02T03:03:00.000-07:00

Sharing what Jesus has done for you is your personal testimony. A personal testimony has great power. People who would never listen to a Gospel presentation will listen to someone tell about how their life was changed.

You should think over your testimony and know what you will say. This will help you to present what happened to you in a logical and easy to understand way. You should be able to give your personal testimony in three or four minutes.

First, talk about what your life was like before you became a Christian. Give some relevant details but do not glorify your past sins.

Then talk about how you became a Christian. Give details about when, where, why and how you felt at the time.

Then mention the difference that Jesus has made in your life. Tie your present situation into your past life and explain what has changed. Tell the person what Jesus means to you now.

Who Can Witness

2008-03-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

Some Christians have the mistaken idea that they need much Bible knowledge before they witness. This is totally false. Now, Bible knowledge will help you to witness and answer questions but as soon as a person trusts Jesus as their Saviour they can be a witness.

After all, to be a witness just means to tell what you know. All that a Christian needs to do is tell others what Jesus has done for them. You can at least be like the blind man who told the Jewish religious leaders, ''Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.'' (John 9:25)

A new Christian may say, ''I do not know what will happen to those who never hear about Jesus. But I do know that before I was on my way to hell and now heaven is my home.''

Or he might say, ''I do not know why God allows suffering. But I do know that before I was miserable and now I have peace and joy.''

Or he might say, ''I do not know all the answers. But I do know that before my life had no purpose and now I follow Jesus.''

Looking For Opportunities

2008-03-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

The idea of telling others the Gospel can be a little frightening. We must remember that God is with us. If people reject what we say, they are not rejecting us they are rejecting the message. We cannot force people into God's family. We do not convict people; the Holy Spirit does that.

Do not put too much pressure on yourself. Be open, honest, friendly. Do not be pushy, rude or looking for an argument. Trust God to give you opportunities and trust God to make the person understand the truth. You just tell what you know.

Many times the problem is that we are not aware of an opportunity when it comes. Many every day events can be used as an opening to begin a conversation and share a little of the Gospel.

James Kennedy in Evangelism Explosion (1970, D. James Kennedy) tells this story:

I once stood outside an elevator with a friend. When another person approached, my friend reached for the button to call the elevator and said to the woman, ''Are you going up?''

''Yes,'' she responded.

''Are you going all the way up?'' he inquired.

''No, just to the third floor,'' said she.

''I mean, when God's sweet chariot swings down low to take his people home to heaven, do you know for sure that you are going all the way up to heaven?'' he continued.

Her response was, ''No, I'm not sure of that,'' and, as we entered the elevator, he began sharing the Gospel with her.

It is important when you speak to a stranger or someone who is not well know to you, that near the beginning of your conversation you ask their permission to share the Gospel with them. This is not only polite but also ensures that the person is interested and will listen.

The Command to be a Witness

2008-03-18T03:14:00.000-07:00

If you are a born again Christian, then you are to be a witness for Jesus. He told His followers, ''Ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.'' (Acts 1:8)

At the Last Supper, Jesus said, ''But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father. He shall testify of Me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning.'' (John 15:26,27)

To tell others about Jesus is a commandment. If we love Jesus, then we will obey Him. Being a witness is also evidence that we are saved. If God has truly given us eternal life, the greatest possible gift, then we will want to share that with others.

When the Samaritan woman met Jesus, she immediately went and told the people in her town about Him. She wanted others to share in her joy.