WATCHWORD:
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season—do the work of an evangelist. 2 Timothy 4:2a, 5b
I am not ashamed of the Gospel (of Christ Jesus) because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Romans 1:16
Devote yourselves to (the ministry of) prayer, being watchful … and pray … that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim Christ. Colossians 4:2-3
It has always been my ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ was not known. Romans 15:20
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6
Meditation:
Tell It, Live It
Some years ago, my adult class at church studied the book “Just Walk Across the Room” by Bill Hybels. The focus was on understanding and organizing elements of our faith journeys so as to share it with others. During the course of these classes I found that I was understanding my own walk of faith in greater clarity. So, let me share with you some ideas about faith that touched me, personally, and are probably the same ones that impacted you.
First, I would call myself an “evangelical” Christian, in the broadest sense of that word. For many years, I resisted it because of all the negative qualities that I associated with it. The word is a tough one because it has been so misused and distorted in the media, in politics and in society in general, and even within our own churches. Webster New World Dictionary defines an evangelical as: “(living) according to the Gospels or the teaching of the New Testament,” and “faith through belief in Christ.” That sums up pretty well who I try to be, and often fail, time after time.
I am a “sinner” (another misunderstood word), in thought, word and deed. But on the other hand, I am a “saint” (here’s another one), in the “true sense” of the word. Martin Luther tells me that the test of a true saint is one who is baptized, dedicated, confirmed, and believes that Christ is savior and one who consciously tries to live out that belief. Luther would tell me that belief in Christ is all I need and by His grace my sins are forgiven. My role is to try to imitate Christ as best I can, failures, not with-standing.
I have heard it said that Jesus was one of the truly great teachers! I believe that He was the greatest teacher, but He is so much more. He is God among us, and he came to teach us through parable, prophesy, example and all those stories that we find in the Bible, the whole Bible – Old and New Testament.
Christ as God. God as a human being, These are tough concepts. In my belief, Jesus is God incarnate. Incarnate is a strange, old-fashioned and often misunderstood word. In my vocabulary, it simply means that God became a man in every respect in order to understand more fully life as we humans experience it. He came in that form to show, by word and example, what God would have us do and how he wishes us to relate to one another. In short, Jesus, the Christ, is God! God as Teacher!
I am convinced that there is much in the Bible that is sometimes difficult to process and too many teachers and preachers have made it difficult for new believers. At the core of my belief is one simple and singular event that makes a Christian – belief that Jesus is God incarnate, he became human, He ministered on earth for a apecific period of time, was executed, dead and buried and returned to life — the Resurrection! There is proof of this based on reliable witness testimonies. Everything else (parting of the Red Sea, Jonah and the whale, Daniel in the lion’s den, the feeding of the 5,000, the virgin birth, etc.) is God-inspired that instructs, and communicates blessed and sacred events and stories that have changed the world. Those stories do not change my basic belief, they enhance it and they give it meaning.
Maybe you, like me, have struggled with communicating the depth and strength of your faith, maybe you can glean something out of my ramblings. We all scatter seeds as we live out our faith, and share our belief. May God bless our continuing journeys, as we scatter seeds of grace. Amen.
Prayers:
Gracious God — We are recipients of your great love and the good news of your gospel in our salvation. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we may see, that we may know what is the hope to which you have called us: the hope of eternal life. May our hearts burn with the words of the Great Commission — so that we make disciples within our own lives.
We pray that you open doors in all areas where our lives intersect. May you pave the way for the conversations we will have. We pray that you would open doors in our leisure activities, and our relationships. Make us aware of opportunities to bear witness to the greatness, the glory, and the goodness of our Savior. Give us a boldness to walk through these doors and proclaim the hope of redemption in Christ and the promise of eternal life, for the glory of Your name and for our good. Lord we ask these things in the name of your Son. Amen
