Life

Look Up 316

2011-02-08T05:49:00.000-06:00

There’s always a lot of hype about Super Bowl commercials. One commercial was rejected by Fox Sports this year for containing too much “religious doctrine.” Yet, just before the 4th quarter, up it popped to the surprise of many. The commercial actually didn’t air in all the markets, and its audience was quite small in comparison to being broadcast nationwide, but boy, what an impact it had!

The commercial drew so much traffic to its website, www.lookup316.com, that it was difficult to load the web page. Before anyone knew what had happened, the whole thing had gone viral on the internet.

What kind of commercial could draw so much attention? A message of hope with no preaching. The website offers a simple explanation of John 3:16, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.”

When God decides to do something big, get out of the way. Even Fox Sports can’t stop Him.

MLK, Jr - Dreaming the Dream

2011-01-15T23:34:00.000-06:00

Do you ever dream about things you want to do? Many great things accomplished in life have started with only a dream. It’s a good thing to analyze our dreams to see if they are within the will of God. If they aren’t, don’t waste your time dreaming about them. The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will so don't let your dreams get you off-center.

So, how do we find the center of God’s will? Years ago there was a story told about the ship channels in Italy. It was dangerous for ships to travel the long channels inland from the sea since there was little room on either side for navigation and they were at risk of running aground. Therefore, a system was designed using three lights to guide the ships inland.

As a ship entered the channel, three lights could be seen. The goal of the ship captain was to line up all three lights until only one large light could be seen. Then and only then would the ship travel safely through the channel and not run aground. If at any time the captain saw two or three lights, he had to quickly make adjustments until all three lights were lined up again into one large light. The system never failed and the three lights that became one light guided many ships inland to safety.

In Bob Mumford’s book, Take Another Look at Guidance, he tells about the three lights that will guide us safely into the center of God’s will. The first light is The Word of God. The second light is the Holy Spirit. And the third is our circumstances. Unless all three lights line up, we should stop and consider if we are on course and in God’s will. Very often we allow our circumstances to dictate the direction that our life should take. In reality, our circumstances are the lesser of the three lights. God’s Word and the Holy Spirit giving us God’s peace are the most important. When all three are in line, we can be sure God is guiding us safely.

Are all three lights in your life lining up into one large light? Do your dreams take God’s Word and the Holy Spirit into account? It’s never too late to make adjustments. Let the peace of God rule your hearts in Christ Jesus... Colossians 3:15-17

Pulling the Wrong Latch

2010-10-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

Did you ever do something stupid, and then acted as if nothing had happened? I remember a story that the illustrious Erma Bombeck told about her husband. It seems that he rented a car while in Pittsburgh and accidently pulled the “open hood” latch rather than the “brake release”. Instead of getting out of the car, closing the hood and driving off, he got out of the car and spent five minutes under the hood adjusting wires that didn’t need adjusting - just so he could save-face.

I thought of the many times that I’ve done dumb things just to save-face. God never minces words. We call it saving-face, but He simply calls it PRIDE. We’ve all got it, but God hates it. He tells us in 1 John 2:16, “For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting or what he has or does (the pride of life) – comes not from the Father, but from the world.”

Could it be that our willingness to let go of our pride and admit that we’re wrong could even lead to our healing? In James 5:16 it says, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

I want to be powerful and effective, don’t you? Let’s remember this the next time that we pull the wrong latch.

Rescued Miners

2010-10-14T18:25:00.000-05:00

Who has not been glued to the TV set over the last few days as the 33 Chilean Miners were hauled to the surface one by one? We have been astounded that these men could be held captive underground since August 5th, yet emerge alive and well. Many of the freed miners are sharing their spiritual experiences. God was doing a mighty work while they were entombed over 2,000 feet underground, in the depths of the San Jose mine.

As the last miner emerged, church bells were ringing and car horns were honking as people throughout Chile celebrated the rescue. Everywhere, people were weeping and laughing because the miners were set free. There was reason to celebrate; they were given up for dead, yet they’re alive!

In John 3:3 &16 Jesus says, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born-again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

We’re all sinners and like the trapped miners we need to be set free. It took a ton of people and equipment to free the miners, but it only takes Jesus Christ to set us free from our sins. The payment for unrepentant sin is eternity in hell – but Jesus paid a ransom that we may be set free from sin and the punishment of hell. He died on the cross over 2,000 years ago to pay for your sins, my sins, and the sins of the world. Anyone who believes in Jesus in their heart, will not perish, but have eternal life.

What is your part? Accept Jesus Christ’s payment for your sins, turn away from your lifestyle of sin, and ask Him to come live in you and guide you. Then the angels in heaven will be praising God and shouting Hallelujah! You, who were once dead in your sins, is now alive – you’ve been set free!

What if...?

2010-10-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

Have you ever played the game “What if…?” You know, you think of something good that happened in your life or the life of others. Then you think of a slight change of circumstances that would have altered the outcome of the situation entirely. The scenarios are endless. An example would be taking a different route to work one day and later discovering there was a fatal accident that you avoided. What if…?

I love the fact that God is in control and not me. Proverbs 3:4-6 LB says “If you want favor with both God and man and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”

When I’m wondering “What if…?” It makes me see the wonderful hand of God in everything I do. His way is perfect and He directs my path. I can’t depend on myself because I make too many mistakes, but I put my life in His hands and it’s amazing the way He leads me.

What are some of your “What ifs…?” Leave me a comment; I’d love to hear from you!

Choose Wisdom, Part 4

2010-09-24T00:31:00.000-05:00

Do you have trouble forgiving others for wrong things they’ve done to you? Or perhaps you have trouble forgiving those who have hurt or offended, not you personally, but someone you love. Refusing to forgive causes broken relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, sons and daughters, friends and extended family members. The list goes on and on.

Unforgiveness causes all sorts of health problems, such as stomach ulcers, and brings you into Satan’s bondage. The person you’re not forgiving may not be affected by your unforgiveness – it’s you who is suffering. Let your pride go and forgive as God forgives you.

“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1

A wise woman readily forgives a wrong when it happens to her or to those she loves. She knows that God will take care of the matter if she gives it to Him. She follows Jesus’ example when He hung on the cross and said, “Father, forgive them for they don’t realize what they’re doing.” Because of her forgiving spirit, she is loved by everyone.

A foolish woman is offended easily and holds grudges against those who hurt her. She is bitter and people avoid her. She gossips about those who have offended her and she lashes out in anger at the smallest thing. Pride is more important to her than anything else.

A Word to the Wise - Jesus commands us to forgive, but it’s easier said than done, isn’t it? If you have trouble forgiving, remember this: Forgiving is not saying that the wrong is okay - It’s realizing that you’ve made a lot of mistakes and you choose to forgive the person and let it go so that God can forgive you. Matthew 18:32-35

Choose Wisdom, Part 3

2010-09-14T02:06:00.000-05:00

Faith is interesting. It’s not believing that God can, but knowing that He will. When we pray and ask God for something, we must add faith to our prayers and have an expectation that He will answer them.

“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1

A wise woman prays and expects God to answer. She looks and waits for His answer with excitement, but she’s not surprised because she was expecting it.

A foolish woman may pray, but she really doesn’t expect God to do what she asks. When the answer comes she wonders if it was just a coincidence.

A Word to the Wise - Allow God to answer your prayers not according to your will, but His will. His answers may be packaged differently than you would expect. Romans 8:28

Choose Wisdom, Part 2

2010-09-02T21:46:00.000-05:00

Baby birds aren’t very quiet about it when they’re hungry. In baby bird talk, they squeal and holler until their parents feed them. While they’re still young, the parents begin teaching them where to hunt for their food and how to feed themselves. If the baby birds don’t learn this, they will starve.

Like baby birds, we must learn to feed ourselves spiritually from God’s Word and not expect others to do it for us. We are each responsible under God for our life and how we care for ourselves spiritually.

“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1

As wise women, we must feed ourselves from God’s Word, and not expect others to do it for us. We must spend time in the Bible regularly, thinking and meditating on it. Our wisdom will be increased as we fill our hearts and minds with spiritual food. If we eat regularly from His Word, our wisdom will increase and we will be able to rightly judge situations that present themselves daily in our lives. Only by taking in spiritual food can we grow spiritually.

A foolish woman neglects the reading of God’s Word. She searches her own mind for the answers to life’s problems. She doesn’t know the Word of God and she thinks she doesn’t have time to read and learn from it. She justifies her busy schedule as the reason she can’t make time for learning spiritual things. A foolish woman lacks discretion because she pours into her heart and mind the things of the world. What pours forth from her lacks wisdom.

A Word to the Wise – Take a moment and open God’s Word to 1 John, chapter 1. Spend 5 minutes reading, and then ask God to help you read 5 minutes more tomorrow, and the next day and the next day, etc. Just 5 minutes reading God’s Word every day will change your life forever!

Choose Wisdom, Part 1

2010-08-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Proberbs 14:1

A wise woman builds her house by starting at the foundation. She wisely accepts Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and He becomes the cornerstone of all that she builds on in the future. She is careful to always stay fully surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ and lets Him have His will in her life.

A foolish woman puts off accepting Christ, thinking she will do it later. Meanwhile, she is building her house on the things of this world. Unfortunately, her foundation won’t hold when the storms of life come and wash it away.

A Word to the Wise – It is never too late to surrender everything to Jesus. You can start today to build a new life with Him as your foundation. Pray this prayer, “God, I’m sorry for leaving you out of my life. I repent and turn away from my sins. I invite you to come into my life and live in me. I accept Your Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior. In His name I pray. Amen.”

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite!

2010-08-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

For decades no one worried about bed bugs, but for the last few years the problem has escalated and now its making headline news. Bed bugs were so prevalent back in the 1920s and 30s, it was common for people who stayed in hotels, (even nice hotels) to strip the beds and check the mattresses for the pests before they settled into a room.

Well, the bed bugs are back with a vengeance and some people are finding that they’re not an easy problem to get rid of. When hotel rooms become infested, management has to bring in exterminators who pull out base boards and treat them in the walls. Mattresses and box springs are thrown out and when the room has been fumigated, they replace the beds with new ones.

If hotels didn’t take extreme measures to get rid of them, you and I would take them home in our luggage. What do these little pests thrive on? Would you believe human blood? It’s a pretty serious problem, wouldn’t you say?

We deal with a similar enemy on the spiritual level. Job 1:7 says, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ and Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.’”

Just like checking for bed bugs, we have to check our own hearts and see if there is anything we are hiding from ourselves. We have to strip back the masks we wear and let the light of the Lord and His Word shine inside us, exposing any hidden sin. After all, even our own hearts will deceive us.

We have to surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit and let Him exterminate the sin in our lives. He will cleanse us and restore us like new. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:8-9

Let Go

2010-08-09T23:41:00.000-05:00

We often hear the phrase; Let Go and Let God, but how do we do that? Paul L. Tan wrote about a college student back in the nineteenth century who “took six postcards and wrote a large letter on each one of the postcards; L – E – T -- G – O – D

He then put them on the mantelpiece in his room where he was living at school. One evening a draft blew through the window and the card with the “D” blew away. As he picked up the remaining cards, what he saw seemed to be a message from God, and the secret of the Christian life; LET GO. Only by letting go can you let God carry out His will in your life.”

Letting go and giving everything we have to God should be a daily practice for Christians. Why? Because we tend to hold on to “things” and take back “things” that we’ve already given to Him. Actually, we don’t own anything anyway. Everything we have is simply “on-loan” for a while. Well known author, Corrie Ten Boom understood this. She once said; “I have learned to hold everything loosely. That way it doesn’t hurt when God takes them from me.”

I have my own way of Letting Go and Letting God. In prayer I tell the Lord that I am giving Him what I’ve been holding onto - I name it. It can be one of my children, my husband, or another family member. It may be a person I’m angry with and haven’t forgiven. Instead of a person, it may be a sin. You fill in the blanks.

Then I picture myself picking up the person (or the sin) and laying them at the feet of Jesus. I give to Him what I’ve been holding onto, what I’ve been worrying about and brooding over. He takes my burdens away when I let go. “Cast your cares on the Lord…” Psalm 55:22

Pulling Together

2010-08-03T23:28:00.000-05:00

A great marriage is all about pulling together. But married or not, some things are hard to accomplish unless we have someone helping us. We worked in Mexico for 20 years and during that time we ministered with Pastors and Churches in poor areas sharing Jesus Christ among the people. Not only were the people in these areas poor, but the Pastors and their families were as well.

Our ministry brought in resources that helped the Churches spread the Word of God. Pulling together, we were able to reach thousands of people with the Gospel that would not have been reached otherwise.

One Pastor in particular touched my heart. His name is Pastor Guerra. His flock loves him so much and he loves them. He is an excellent Pastor and a powerful preacher, although he is poorly educated. Many have come to know Christ as their Savior through his faithful work for the Lord.

So what is so special about this man? His shortcoming is what makes him special. He’s totally illiterate. He can’t read or write. So, what miracle has God wrought that enables this humble, uneducated man to prepare his sermons? It’s the miracle of a loving, patient wife who can read.

Every night, sometimes for hours, Senora Guerra reads the Bible to her husband. God has given this Pastor an excellent memory and he has committed much of the Bible to memory just by listening to his wife read.

It makes God smile when we come together with others and lend a helping hand. Who do you know that needs you to come alongside and pull together with them? What are you waiting for? Go ahead, make God smile. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

Truman: Doing What's Right

2010-07-24T19:01:00.001-05:00

In David McCullough’s book, “Truman,” there are many insights into the life of our former President. I was only ten years old when this outspoken man stepped out of the office of Vice President and into the office of President following the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Even though I was young, I remember a lot about him.

President Harry S. Truman was a man who lived by his convictions. Everyone always knew where they stood with him because he was never bashful about taking a stand on anything he believed in. He was a professing Christian and a member of a Southern Baptist Church, however, his salty language was an embarrassment to most Christians.

McCullough tells about President Truman visiting Mexico in 1947. At that time, anti-American feelings were rampant among the Mexican people and there was justified concern in Washington about the President visiting there.

During his trip to Mexico, the President unexpectedly changed his itinerary and announced that he would visit Chapultepec Castle, which is the West Point of Mexico. His advisors were against it; all the protocol experts said “you can’t do that,” but President Truman went anyway.

The reason his advisors said he shouldn’t go was because 100 years earlier, during the war between the U.S. and Mexico, U.S. troops captured Chapultepec Castle. They killed everyone except six young Mexican cadets who took their own lives rather than surrender to the U.S. The Mexican government erected a monument at the castle to these six young men.

There at the monument to Los Ninos Heroes at Chapultepec, President Truman placed a wreath and bowed his head in prayer. Then a strange and wonderful thing happened, the cadets in the Mexican Color Guard burst into tears and wept openly!

It’s been said that in the history of the two countries, nothing has ever been done that was so helpful in cementing our relationship with Mexico. In Mexico City, for many years following that incident, taxi drivers would weep at the mere mention of President Harry Truman’s name.

Doing what is right will always be pleasing to the Lord, even if others don’t understand. 1 Chronicles 11:15-19

Miracle In The Fog

2010-07-15T21:10:00.000-05:00

While serving as missionaries in Latin America, we had many opportunities to trust the Lord and live by faith. I remember one time in particular while living in Honduras. The roads there are sometimes dangerous and the government does very little to keep them up. It was early one morning and we were traveling on a road high in the mountains. It was a typical mountain road where the mountain is on one side and it’s straight down on the other!

As we came around a bend in the road, we found ourselves engulfed in fog so thick, we could only see a few feet beyond the car. There were three things that made the matter worse; the road was extremely narrow with a lot of switch-backs, there were no guard rails, and there was no shoulder where we could pull over and wait for the fog to lift!

The moment we entered the fog we began praying for the Lord to protect and guide us through it. We drove slowly, inching our way along. Suddenly, it appeared the road was making a curve, but the fog was so thick we couldn’t be sure that we could follow it.

Then we saw one short yellow strip dividing the road - then two. Visibility was so poor we could only see one or two stripes at a time, but what a blessing they were because now we could keep the car aligned with the road!

We filled the car with praises to God as we traveled slowly through the fog. Finally, the sun broke through, and as the fog lifted we noticed that there were no more yellow stripes. We laughed for joy and thanked the Lord for having the Honduran government paint those yellow stripes on the road to guide us through!

After our trip was complete, we returned home via a different route. Several days later we were talking with a fellow missionary who regularly traveled the road where we experienced the heavy fog. We told him about how we would have never made it through those mountains without the yellow striping on the road.

With a puzzled look on his face, our friend said, “I just traveled in that area and there are no yellow stripes anywhere on that road – you can ask anyone who lives there and they’ll tell you the same thing.”

My husband and I looked at each other in silence. The Lord had miraculously taken us through the fog with yellow stripes that He placed there just to get us through.

Don't Sweat It!

2010-07-06T01:17:00.000-05:00

Remember the deodorant commercial with the line; “Don’t let them see you sweat!” Or, maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Don’t sweat it,” meaning, “Don’t worry about it.”

One of Webster’s definitions for sweat is, “To labor or exert oneself…” I think we all agree that hard work and sweat definitely go together. My Grandmother Smith worked hard all her life and when she’d give me a job to do, she would say, “Now a little hard work never killed anybody.”

But did you know that God doesn’t like sweat when it comes to serving Him? In Ezekiel 44:17-18, The Lord is giving instructions for the Priests serving in the Temple; “And it shall be that when they enter at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and wool shall not be on them while they are ministering in the gates of the inner court. Linen turbans shall be on their heads, and linen undergarments shall be on their loins, they should not gird themselves with anything that makes them sweat.”

God hates sweat because it’s a sign that our work for Him is of our flesh and not by His Spirit. When we’re sweating, it means that we’re trying to do it instead of giving it to God and letting Him do it through us.

Not only is our sweat not pleasing to the Lord, but we can get more done by resting in the Lord than we’ll ever do by “sweating it.”

Worry Is Like a Rat

2010-06-30T01:39:00.000-05:00

Do you worry? One thing I’ve discovered about worrying, it doesn’t help the situation, and sometimes it makes it worse. One thing for sure, it’s a bad habit. A very bad habit.

You may have heard the story about the pilot and the rat. It’s been around a while and although no one seems to know who wrote it, it’s a great illustration that shows us how to deal with worry. It goes like this:

Years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, a pilot took off from an airfield. After he was in the air about two hours, he heard a gnawing sound. He realized that a rat must have gotten inside while his plane was on the ground. The gnawing continued. It was a very serious situation, and he was worried.

At first he didn’t know what to do. It was either return to the airfield he had left two hours before, or continue on to the next airfield which was over two hours ahead.

Then he remembered, “The rat is a rodent and it’s not made for heights – it’s made to live on the ground and underground.” So the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet, then another thousand, until he was more than twenty thousand feet above the earth.

The gnawing ceased. The rat was dead. It couldn’t survive the heights.

Worry is like a rat. It gnaws at us and can eventually cause serious damage, physically, mentally, and spiritually. But worry can’t stand the heights our prayers go when we take our worries to the Lord. Worry can’t stand the atmosphere when we praise Him, when we thank Him, when we mediate upon His Word and quote His promises.

In God’s presence, the gnawing ceases. Worry is dead. It can’t survive His lofty presence.

Leaving a Legacy, Part 1

2010-06-22T00:58:00.000-05:00

There are two things for certain in life; we all will die one day, and we can’t take anything with us when we do. For those of us who don’t have much material wealth to leave to our loved ones, what kind of legacy can we leave to those who come along behind us?

I’ve been reading in 2 Timothy 1:5 about the legacy of faith that was left to Timothy. The Apostle Paul is writing the letter and he says; “I have been reminded of your sincere faith (Timothy), which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded, now lives in you.”

Sincere faith is a wonderful legacy to pass on. I did some research on the word “sincere” and found that it’s possibly taken from two words in Latin; sine (without), and cera (wax). Without wax.

I was curious why the word ‘sincere’ had such a meaning. One of the stories going around is that stone workers during the Republic of Rome, would cover imperfections in stone by applying wax in crevices, much like homemakers or unscrupulous antique dealers might rub wax into wood to hide a scratch (About.com). For dealers to say that their product was “Sine Cera” meant you were getting an honest deal and the stone was of the finest quality, pure, with nothing hidden.

That’s the kind of legacy I want to leave behind, a faith with no wax added. I invite you to join me in praying this prayer; “Lord, purify my faith, make it sincere with nothing hidden, that I might leave a legacy of sincere faith to those who come behind me.”

Don't Look Back

2010-06-15T00:44:00.001-05:00

I learned a lot on the mission field. Many times, scripture came to life when I saw people living like they did in Biblical times.

In Costa Rica for example, oxen are still used to plow fields. The people there paint the oxen yokes with bold colors and create interesting designs that have been handed down from generation to generation. Many times we would see farmers plowing with their oxen on the side of a steep mountain and marvel at how they could do it. It’s definitely an art.

Once they start to plow a row, they don’t stop until it’s done. They must keep their eye on where they’re going. If they look back, they’ll get off course and the row will be crooked.

In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus is urging men to follow Him. First one and then another had an excuse. They said they must do other things first and then they would follow Him. But in verse 62, Jesus tells them, “…No one after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Jesus was comparing people to a farmer plowing a field. He wanted to show them that they would get off course if they turned around and started taking care of every day things instead of following Him.

Everyday cares still draw us away from the Lord and what He is calling us to do. We have to press on toward Him and what He has set before us if we’re to be fit for His kingdom.

Have you set out to follow Him? Then don’t look back, it will get you off course.

Idols and Other Stuff

2010-06-07T16:12:00.001-05:00

There comes a time when you’ve got to get rid of “stuff” or your house won’t hold it all.

Ahh, but just getting ready for a garage sale brings up all sorts of emotions. Trust me, I know. I just had a garage sale.

What about that vase that Aunt Emily gave you? You can’t get rid of that, what would you tell her when she comes to visit? Or that tool that hasn’t been used in 5 years? You may need it, you never know! Or, you can’t get rid of that stack of magazines, remember all those recipes?!

The Israelites had a similar problem. Because of their incessant complaining, God sent serpents among them. Then he told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a stick. Anyone who looked upon it would not die from the snake bites.

Seven hundred years later, the Israelites still had the bronze serpent. It had become an idol and they were worshipping it. (Numbers 21:5-9 & 2 Kings 18:4).

It makes you wonder, where does "stuff" end and idols begin?

Did I Hear You Honk?

2010-05-31T14:45:00.000-05:00

Most things don’t work unless a team pulls together to make it work. Years ago I read an article from an unknown author about Geese and Teamwork.

As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird behind it. By flying in V-formation, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone.

The Lesson? People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier when they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot-down, two geese drop out of formation and follow him down. They stay with the goose to help and protect it until it is able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out with another formation to catch-up with the flock.

The Lesson? If we have as much love as geese, we will stand by each other.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

The Lesson? If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.

The Lesson? It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

The Lesson? We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging and helpful, not discouraging and critical.

“Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them…” Matthew 7:12

Can You Wrap Your Mind Around This?

2010-05-25T20:06:00.001-05:00

An unbelievable course of events had taken place. Jesus Christ died on the cross and on the third day His body was gone from the tomb, but His burial clothes lay undisturbed. A large number of His disciples actually saw Him and talked with Him; on the road, in a room... It staggered the minds of His disciples and they struggled to piece together what was happening.

Actually, before He was put to death, Jesus told them all that was going to happen, but they couldn’t wrap their minds around it. I think we are often like that. We have God’s Word, but sometimes we find it hard to wrap our minds around what it’s saying to us.

A case in point is Jesus’ teaching about giving the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Him. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:26-27.

When Jesus ascended to the Father, the Holy Spirit was sent to live in those who accepted Jesus’ death on the cross for their sins. If you are a Christian, have you thought about the POWER that lives within you? It’s hard to wrap your mind around it, isn’t it?

Do you realize that with all that power, God expects you to use it for good? That puts the power of God in your hands to reach out to friends and enemies alike with God’s LOVE.

Can you wrap your mind around this and purpose to show God’s love?
“I will extend God’s love to those I know, those I meet, those I’m estranged from, those in my family, those in my neighborhood, those I work with, those I live with, those I go to Church with. I will extend God’s love to my enemies as well as those I love. I have the power of God living in me to do good and I will!"

Fixing the Fix

2010-05-19T01:29:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been in a fix and couldn’t fix it? I often talk to people who are in that place. They are so far down; the only way they can look is up! But looking up is exactly what we should do. We should look up and ask our Father in heaven for help.

After all, He’s our Maker, our Manufacturer and only He can change us, fix us and restore us. He will maintain our peace, comfort us, enable us, protect us, defend us and empower us to do everything He calls us to do. But we work against Him when we try to fix our problems without consulting Him, waiting on Him, and obeying Him.

Some Christians I know find the Christian life pretty hard. They’re in the habit of taking control of their life and running everything…and making a mess of everything! They don’t realize that when they gave their life to Him, He took it seriously and He has control whether they realize it or not.

They’ve formed habits that are hard to break. They keep looking for another fix to fix their fix instead of giving it all to God and waiting on Him.

They don’t realize that the fix they’re in is there to teach them something and they will never fix it outside of giving it to the Lord.

A Pastor friend used to say, “If you fix the fix God fixes for you, He’ll have to fix another fix for you.”

Many of us have a habit of trying to fix the fix instead of giving our fixes to the Lord. But if we are faithful to yield our habits to Him and ask Him to change us, sooner or later we’ll learn that it’s an exercise in futility to even try and we’ll begin trusting Him more to fix our fixes for us. Thank goodness He never gives up on us!

Hmm, it’s so simple to come to Christ and be born again. But becoming mature and growing up in Christ - that’s the hard part!

Laugh

2010-05-15T16:10:00.001-05:00

It seems like the harder I tried to find the time to write, the more things got in the way of writing. So here I am, with numerous obstacles out of the way, back to blogging!

One of the things that got me off track was some day-surgery to remove a small skin cancer and a benign cyst, both on my forehead. It turned out to be a bigger deal than I imagined. Thank the Lord the cancer was not threatening, and they got all of it! What I discovered in the process was my vanity.

You don’t know how vain you are until they start cutting on your face! After the surgery, they put a big bandage over both the surgery sites. To apply pressure, they piled cotton on top of that and then applied tape to the whole thing. I wore that big, bulging bandage for almost a week.

I looked like I had a big growth on my forehead that was covered with tape! I assure you, make-up did not help my situation. I had a feeling God was snickering at me. He knows how to deal with our pride, you know.

The big, bulging bandage has been replaced with a big, flat bandage which will be coming off within a week or less. I will probably have a whole new set of pride issues to deal with when I have no bandage at all!

I am in awe of the Lord for the unique ways He operates in our lives. While He’s been hacking away at my pride, I’ve come to realize how silly pride is. I actually got a big laugh at a teenager who looked at me in horror and said, “Oh my goodness, what happened to you?!”

Laughing is good - especially when you laugh at yourself.

Have You Got Your Ears On?

2010-05-04T01:30:00.001-05:00

If we want to hear God speak to us, we have to listen. In Matthew 11, Jesus spoke to the multitudes and said “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Can you remember what the sermon was about last Sunday? Or the scriptures that were read? You will if you were listening for God to speak to you. Part of hearing from God is expecting to hear from God. And if we want to keep hearing from Him, we must be obedient and do what He tells us.

This is a key principle when it comes to us witnessing spontaneously. If we are to be effective in ministering to the world, we must be alert to what the Holy Spirit is telling us as we go about our daily routine.

It saddens me to think about it, but I wonder how many times I’ve missed the Lord simply because I wasn’t listening.

How about you? Have you got your ears on?

Just Picture It!

2010-04-23T23:58:00.001-05:00

Are you like me? I’m always highlighting passages in my Bible and making notes in the margin. These notes can make for interesting reading when I reflect back on what God was saying to me at the time.

For example, it was on the back page of an old Bible I used in the 70s, that I ran across a note that says “Luke 6:38 – When we give to God, He gives to us.”

The scripture reads; “Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

The first word in Luke 6:38 is “GIVE.” The word GIVE is a prerequisite – you have to do that for the promise contained in the verse to take place. You have to GIVE first in order for anything to be given back to you. If you want God to give to you, you have to give to Him. If you give Him everything, He will give back to you, not only in the same measure that you gave to Him, but above and beyond, He will pour out to you abundantly!

Test Him. Place your faith in the Lord by giving Him everything and watch Him give back to you far more than you gave to Him. Just picture it - You won’t have enough lap to hold all that God is going to pour out on you!

Milk or Meat?

2010-04-14T19:32:00.001-05:00

In Corporate America, a lot of emphasis is put on setting and accomplishing goals. There are department goals and overall goals for the entire company. It’s so important that seminars are offered to teach the employees how to go about it.

When a company sets a goal, it challenges everyone to meet it. It becomes a competition and therefore they set their mind on winning. The overall result is that the Company grows bigger and better because everyone is challenged to do a better job.

So, why do Christians have such a hard time setting spiritual goals for themselves? And, why are we willing to accept the same old status quo in our walk with the Lord, and never grow up spiritually? Why are we content to remain on milk when we should be on meat?

If I’m going to grow spiritually, my goal must be to feed on God’s Word daily. I can’t grow without spiritual food. And then as I learn from His Word, I must put it into practice in my life. Another important goal is to grow in my faith in God.

In my quiet time with the Lord, I stumbled on to a scripture in Mark 11:24 that started me thinking about all of this. Jesus is talking to His disciples and He says, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray, and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted to you.”

If I can paraphrase this, I think it’s saying; When you ask God for something, you should believe in your heart that it’s a done deal, then wait on Him to bring it about. I don’t think the Lord intended this to be extraordinary faith – I think it’s the kind of faith He wants all of us to have all the time.

So, my first goal is to read God’s Word daily and the second is to make my life measure up to what God's Word says. The third goal is to stretch my faith and not only believe that God can meet my needs, but that He will!

And how about you? Will it be Milk or Meat?

Holocaust Remembrance Day

2010-04-09T14:50:00.009-05:00

It’s good to remember the terrible things the Nazis did to the Jews. Not because we want to remember – I mean, who really wants to remember all the ungodly acts that were perpetrated on millions of people by a dictator-led regime. A regime that set out to make a so-called perfect world that would be made up of what they determined would be a supreme race of people.

If we fail to remember, it says that we care nothing about the millions who suffered untold punishment, pain, and degradation in the concentration camps - or those who were murdered in the gas chambers.

If as Christians we fail to remember the Holocaust, it says that we care nothing about God’s chosen people, the Apple of His Eye.

“…He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.” Zechariah 2:8

If we fail to remember, it says that that we have learned nothing from it and therefore it may very well happen again.

This Sunday, remember the Holocaust and pray for Jewish people around the world to come to Christ, their Messiah.

He Has Risen!

2010-04-04T01:03:00.003-05:00

Early Sunday morning several of Jesus' followers go to His tomb and discover that the stone has been rolled away. When they enter, the tomb is empty. Two angels standing nearby say to them, “Why do you seek the Living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen…”

Those words not only brought great hope to Jesus’ followers then, but they bring great hope to us today. Jesus declared victory over the grave and He says to those who believe in Him, I give you eternal life!

Do you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Romans 10:9-10 says, If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. If you’ve never given your life to Him, you can pray and accept Him as your Savior. Pray this prayer from your heart;

Father in heaven, I know I’m a sinner. I’m sorry for the things I’ve done wrong. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Savior and I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. Please come live in me and make me a new person. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

If you prayed that prayer, please email me at gtta@tx.rr.com and let me know about your decision. Include your address in your email and I will send you a Bible and some literature that will help you in your new walk with Christ.

Jesus loves you very much and He has an awesome plan for your life!

It's Friday, but Sunday is Coming!

2010-04-02T00:04:00.003-05:00

From noon to three, the sun is obscured and the whole earth is under a veil of darkness. It's Friday, and God’s Son, the Savior of the world hangs on a cross, dying for the sins of the world. His followers are dismayed. He told them what was to come, but they couldn’t fathom it.

The time of Jesus’ death is near. In His last words He cries out, “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.” Although His enemies tried to kill Him, who can kill God? In the end, of His own will, Jesus gives up His life as a sacrifice for our sins.

They take Him down from the cross and place His body in the tomb of a rich man. A large stone is placed over the opening. Soldiers are stationed to guard the entrance. It’s a sad time for Jesus’ followers. They grieve His death, but more than anything, they can't comprehend what has happened.

What they don’t understand is that Sunday is coming and with it, a new hope will go forth over all the earth!

Picking Up The Cross

2010-03-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

When it comes to books, my favorites are biographies. Long before going to the mission field, I devoured as many books written about missionaries as I could find. Missionaries from the 1700 and 1800s became my heroes. Not only did these Godly people have a passion for taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost, but many of them were willing to follow their call into lands that were primitive, unexplored, and dangerous.

I know you’ve heard of Dr. David Livingstone. Born in Scotland in 1813, he gave his life to Christ as a young man. Later, he sailed for Africa, dedicating himself to a country that basically had never heard the Gospel. Imagine if you will how hard it would be to evangelize small villages of people that were literally scattered over hundreds of miles, all of them far from civilization. Today, that same area covers ten different nations in Africa.

Dr. Livingstone was not without his critics. Some accounts of his life from the 1800s are very hard on him. He has been blamed for his wife becoming an alcoholic and for leaving his children without a father while he traipsed all over Africa. However, few would deny that his influence can be seen today. Wikipedia reports that in the year 2000, there were an estimated 380 million Christians in Africa.

In heaven, Dr. Livingstone will no doubt receive many rewards, including millions of souls who will stand and testify that they were saved because he dared give his all and take the Gospel to Africa. It challenges me to do great things for God and to deny myself, pick up my cross, and follow Him.

First Things First

2010-03-23T00:21:00.004-05:00

Growing up, I didn’t realize the valuable lessons I was learning by simply observing the actions of my Mother. My parents didn’t own a home. Over the years they rented various and sundry houses that we lived in.

Mother was pretty ingenious. She would sublet part of our house to families or single people while we lived in the other part. The income she earned was not “extra” – It had to be combined with my Father’s income to barely sustain our family of six!

Things were always tough financially, but Mother insisted on two things; giving a tenth of her income to God, and paying the premiums on the small insurance policies she had on each family member. She thought it would be disgraceful if anyone died and there was not enough money to bury them.

One of the houses we lived in had a second story and Mother rented the upstairs to a large family. They were good people and good tenants, but one month when she went to collect the rent, they didn’t have the money to pay her. She knew about hard times and her heart went out to them. She gave them some extra time, even though she didn’t know how our family was going to make it without the income. And as always, she prayed.

A week or two passed, and one night, while we were all sleeping, the family packed up all their belongings and left owing more than a month’s rent. Mother was devastated, but with the Lord’s help, she stretched the food, and we simply did with what we had. Miraculously we got through it.

Several months passed and once again Mother was struggling with finances. An unexpected need had come up and although she had the money to pay for it, she would only have enough left to pay either her tithe or the insurance premiums. Not both.

She wrestled with the decision. It was important that she pay the insurance or she could lose the policies. She questioned herself, “Maybe the Lord wants me to pay the insurance – after all, it’s due,” but deep inside, she knew better. “Okay Lord,” she said, “I will put You first and let You take care of the insurance.”

Later that day there was a knock on the door and there stood the former tenant who had left with his family in the middle of the night. He said, “I’ve come to pay the rent I owe you. I’m sorry we left without saying anything, but I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t face you!”

Mother was overwhelmed with joy. Not only did she have her tithe set aside, but now she could pay the insurance too. God had miraculously provided for her need after she put Him first. She was curious about why the man had come at that particular time, so she asked, “Why did you come today to pay me?” The man said, “You know, I was going to put it off, but something came over me and I knew I had to drop everything and come right now.”

Mother’s list of priorities had the Lord as number one. In her soft Arkansas drawl she probably would have summed it all up like this; “You know, if we take care of the Lord’s business first, He’ll take care of the rest.”

A Hundred Times Over

2010-03-17T01:39:00.001-05:00

I was weary and tired as I climbed into bed after a long day of sorting through clothes and household items that would be sold or given away. God had made it clear to my husband Dave and me that He had a call on our lives to serve Him as missionaries in Central America. It meant getting rid of almost everything we owned. I sighed as I thought about how far away Tegucigalpa, Honduras would be from friends and family – especially far away from our three children who had chosen to remain in the U.S. They were young adults at the time, and we had left the decision with them.

As tired as I was, my thoughts took over, and sleep evaded me. “Lord,” I wept and prayed silently, “I've given up almost all I own on this earth, surely you’re not asking me to leave my children behind too?!” I desperately needed God’s peace and I knew it would only come when I had fully yielded my children and their future to Him.

Reaching over to the nightstand, I picked up my Bible as I prayed, "Lord, give me direction." While propping up pillows, I opened it randomly. The page fell open to Matthew 19 and my eyes were drawn to verse 29; “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or CHILDREN or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and inherit everlasting life.” The word “children” seemed magnified on the page and I knew God was giving me a special word in answer to my prayer.

That night I fully yielded my children to the Lord. Was my heart still broken and hurting? Yes, but I can say in all honesty that over time God proved to me that He could be trusted. I shudder to think what blessings I would have missed if I had said no to God. I’ve learned from this experience that by being obedient to what the Lord was calling me to do, despite my circumstances, He was able to fulfill His promise in Matthew 19:29; “And everyone who has left….. CHILDREN…shall receive a hundredfold.” In time, not only did I get back my children, but I have been blessed with hundreds of spiritual children in return. God is faithful to His promises!

Whatever you’re going through today, you can trust Him to walk with you through the hardest times. You may not be able to see the outcome today, but by trusting and believing in Him, despite your circumstances, you will one day see it. And your obedience will yield you blessings a hundred times over.

The Birds

2010-03-15T10:54:00.000-05:00

The troubles of the day seem overwhelming. Nothing you do seems to work out. Before you know it, you're looking on the negative side of life and discouragement sets in. I was feeling that way recently, but then I learned that a friend had been diagnosed with cancer. That was a wake-up call, and I realized that I need to be thankful in all things. Life is precious and it’s too short to waste on discouragement.

The best way to cure discouragement is to spend some quiet time with God and feed on His Word. Wow! What a difference that makes. He has given us more promises than I can write about here. Even though they were given to us over 2,000 years ago, they're as relevant to today’s society as the day they were written. Look at this promise about everyday life found in Matthew 6:25-26 (The Message):

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

God’s Word is so explicit. What a wonderful promise that He loves the birds so much that He takes care of everything they need - and He loves us even more. It follows that He will take care of us even more. Be encouraged! God knows everything you need – spend some time with Him and talk to Him about what’s worrying you.

Bringing in the Sheaves

2010-03-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Part 6 in a Series of 6 on “How to Share Christ”

Many Christians who share Christ with others have a difficult time closing their witness by asking, “Would you like to pray with me and give your life to Christ?” They have a hard time doing that for several reasons, but whatever their reason, it is usually based on some type of fear. See if these apply to you:

I fear embarrassing them or myself
I fear they will laugh & talk about me
I fear they will pray just to please me
I fear being too pushy
I fear them saying ‘NO’ & then what would I say?
I fear they will have questions & I won’t have answers

“Fear not” is in the Bible over 350 times someone said. I’m sure you’ll agree that we need to work on being less fearful of people and things and be more fearful of Him who has the power to overcome our fears.

The Bible says in 2 Tim 1:7 NKJV, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” So if fear doesn’t come from God, we know it is from our own flesh or Satan, our enemy: That same Satan who tempted Jesus in the wilderness; trying to sidetrack Him from the mission He came to earth to do. Luke 4:2-13, Luke 12:4-5.

You will be fought in your attempts to share Christ and particularly in praying with someone to receive Him. It literally makes you a target for Satan because you become a threat to him as Jesus was. But greater is God who is in you, than Satan who is in the world. Great is our God who will go before you and dispel all your fears!

Today, we seldom hear sermons about Hell, but it’s a real place and those who die without Christ go there. In Matthew 25:41 NAS, Jesus speaks of Hell as “eternal fire” and He says it is a place prepared for the devil and his angels. When you get a picture of what Hell is really like, it will inspire you to tell as many people as you can about Jesus and lead them to receive Him as their Savior.

E. V. Hill was Pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles for 40 years. His Church was located in what some would call a ghetto and he mobilized his people to take the Gospel to each and every one of their neighbors. He died several years ago, but I once heard him preach a sermon on Hell that he illustrated with a true story I’ll never forget. It motivated me to snatch as many people as possible from the grips of Satan and take them with me to heaven. I hope it will motivate you as well, as I attempt to paraphrase the key points of the story:

Pastor Hill had a good friend named Dr. Jack Hyles who pastored a Church in Indiana. He said Dr. Hyles had about 20,000 people in Sunday School and he baptized around 100 people every week. Everything he did was about winning souls for Jesus.

One time he asked him, “Jack, why are you such a fanatic about getting people saved?” and Dr. Hyles replied, “Well, let me tell you the story; Years ago, early in the morning I was awakened by a piercing scream that came from my sister’s room. I ran upstairs to her bedroom and she was sitting up in bed with a horrible look on her face that I’ll never forget. She continued screaming and I couldn’t get her to stop. I shook her and said ‘wake-up Sis, it’s only a dream, it’s only a dream!’

She finally stopped screaming and said, ‘No Jack, it wasn’t a dream, I’ve been to Hell and you can still feel the heat on my skin. It is the most horrible place you could ever imagine. As I walked toward it there was desolation everywhere and I knew what the people were feeling; that they would never, ever see goodness again. I looked beyond the entrance gate and everywhere I looked there was agony and grief. Everyone’s skin was cracking open from the intense heat and there was such thirst, everywhere there was thirst.’

‘I saw a man guarding the entrance to keep anyone from leaving and I peered through the gate and said to him, “Sir, please just let a little air in, they can hardly breathe the heat is so stifling. He said, “Air, there is no air in Hell.”

‘I said, “Well sir, would you please just give them a drink of water? Even a drop on their lips would help their thirst.” He said, “Water, there’s no water in Hell.”

I cried out to him and said, “Well, then please just let them die!” and he said, “Death, there is no death in hell.” I said, “But how long will it go on?” and he said, “Forever, and ever and ever…”

‘Jack it was then that the Lord spoke to me and said, “Go back and tell everyone you meet what hell is like so they will not want to go there.” And as I turned to leave - Oh Jack! I saw Daddy, our Daddy is in Hell!”

“So, E. V., I can tell you that my sister’s experience had a huge impact on me. You asked me, why do I win souls? It’s so no one will go to hell.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We pray this story has motivated you to look your fears in the face and win souls for Christ. God has you in a special place, around people you can have an eternal impact on. You don’t have to know a lot of Bible to do this. If necessary just share John 3:16 and tell them the story of how you gave your life to Christ. Then ask them, “If you died tonight, why should God let you in His heaven?” If they don’t know why, ask them if they would like to pray with you right then so they can know for sure they’re going to heaven.

If they think they will go to heaven because they’ve been pretty good, share with them Ephesians 2:8-9, so they can see that their good works will not get them there. It is only by the grace of God and faith in Jesus Christ that we can enter heaven.

As you talk to people and pray with them, remember that everyone is a sinner (Romans 3:10), that hell is a real place (Romans 6:23), but that by faith in Christ they can be saved (Romans 5:8 & 10:13).

Don’t forget to ask the Lord to prepare hearts for the seeds you’ll plant and don’t be discouraged if someone tells you ‘No’ - You may have an opportunity to pray with them later. Believe God to go before you and He will open door after door for His Gospel to go forth! And we shall come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves!

A True Story

It bothered me that I hardly knew one of my neighbors and I had not shared Christ with her. Over five years ago when she was new to the neighborhood, I made an attempt to get acquainted by taking a tray of food to her house as a welcome gift. Our meeting was very brief though and I only learned that her name was A___; she spoke Spanish; and had a son named B__. I wanted to know her better and talk to her about the Lord, but I had no idea it would be five years later before I would see her again.

In today’s society with high crime rates in larger cities, people keep more to themselves than ever before. It’s common for people to come home from a long, hectic day at work, close the garage door behind them and not emerge until the next morning. It’s a far cry from when homes had no air-conditioning and families sat outside in the evening visiting with neighbors while the kids played.

I was beginning to think that maybe A___ had moved out because I never saw her, but one evening several months ago she was leaving her house as I returned home and we chatted briefly. The Lord began stirring my heart and I started praying earnestly for the opportunity to get to know her better and to share Christ with her.

One Saturday morning, following a couple of brief visits, she and B___ came over to visit unexpectedly. I was thrilled to see them. We chatted about her job and what was going on in their lives and then we talked about different things I do in the ministry. A___ was very curious about our work at the homeless shelter and said, “Barb, how do you help the homeless and what do you do at the shelter?”

I realized this was a God-given opportunity to share the Gospel with them so I jumped right in. “Well, a group of Christians go with me and we have beautiful Christian music with the women and children who are homeless; we teach them the Bible and listen as they share their needs, we give them Scripture and we pray with them.”

“After our worship music, I give a message from the Bible and at the end I invite them to pray with me and accept Jesus as their Savior.” I explained, “It’s so beautiful because many of the women and children pray and give their lives to the Lord and they are changed forever!”

They were very intent on what I was saying, but I knew they had questions so I began painting a clearer picture of the Gospel. I shared with them how our sin separates us from God. “So, in order for God to cover our sin” I said, “He sent His perfect Son to die for the sins of the world. That means Jesus died for you and me personally. He died in our place so that we might be forgiven and have a relationship with God. Three days later God raised Him from the dead. It was through Jesus’ death and resurrection that He conquered death and the grave to give eternal life to those who believe in Him.”

“Have either of you accepted the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus purchased for you when He died on the cross for your sins?” They both shook their heads and said “No.” I continued, “Well, the Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Do you know that you’re a sinner and do you believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins?” Without hesitation, they both said “Yes!”

I explained about repentance and turning away from their sins and then I asked, “Would you like to pray with me right now and give your life to Him?” Simultaneously they responded, “Yes!” After they prayed, we talked about the importance of water baptism and attending a local Church. The very next morning, they started going to Church with me and they’re waiting to be baptized. God is so good to have answered my prayers for an opportunity to know A___ better and to share Christ with her. I was praying for A___, but the Lord knew B___’s need as well and sent him along with his mother to hear the gospel so he could give his life to Christ. And that made the blessing even bigger…Thank you Lord!

Family & Close Relationships

2010-03-14T08:50:00.001-05:00

Part 5 in a Series of 6 on” How to Share Christ”

1. You may have already discovered that sharing Christ with family members, friends, co-workers or anyone with whom you have a close relationship is hard. These relationships can make it difficult to share about Christ if they’ve seen you in a role other than Christian.

2. Through God’s transforming grace, we become new creatures when we give our lives to Christ. If we have a “past” we’re not proud of, our new life can impact people in a powerful way if we let the love of Christ shine through us.

3. Sometimes you’ll have to go to others and clear the air – even if you’re not at fault. If you know someone has an offense against you, why not obey Jesus and say something like “I know there is something between us and I want to ask your forgiveness for hurts I’ve caused you. Will you forgive me?” This will take swallowing your pride, but Jesus will be pleased with you.

4. The person who was offended will have a new respect for you and this could open the door for you to tell them about Jesus and how He changed you. But be prepared to lead them to Christ because they may decide that they want what you have!

5. Sharing Christ with Family & Close Relationships is usually the most difficult of all the ways you will share Christ. First of all it’s easier to share with someone that you may never see again, than those you’re close to. Sometimes family members are skeptical and may need time to see that you have changed. Don’t give up. Let your light shine forth and try again later.

6. There is no special way to share Christ with those close to you except that you can look for opportunities to tell them how Jesus changed you. One way would be in following what Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:23-24. Here He tells us about the importance of making amends with someone who has something against us. Jesus doesn’t say that we’re to make amends if you’ve been wrong, but to make amends if the person “feels” that you were wrong.

7. When Jesus visited his home town of Nazareth in Matthew 13:54-58, it says that the people were skeptical and didn’t believe Him: “And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is this not the carpenter’s son? …Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his home town and in his own household.’…..”

8. If you have tried to share Christ with family members, close friends or others and were not successful, you’re in good company with Jesus Himself, but it’s good to keep seeking opportunities. Not all of those who were close to Jesus rejected Him and one of his brothers, James, became a strong believer and the leader of the Jerusalem Church (Acts15:13-22; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 2:9.

Sharing As You Go

2010-03-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

Part 4 in a Series of 6 on “How to Share Christ”

1. Life is all about encountering people.

They may be: sales clerks, cashiers, health club members or employees, people who call you on the phone for business reasons or even get your number by mistake, and those who come to your door or pick-up your trash, etc., etc. These could be strangers or people you’ve seen or met before, but they would not be people you have a relationship with.

2. Using tracts with Encounter Witnessing:

We almost always use a gospel tract as a means to start conversations about Jesus Christ. When we’re approaching a cashier or sales clerk, we generally wait until we’ve finished our business and then we hand them a tract (face-up, and where they can read the message as we hand it to them).The way I approached Perla and Alberto can be used with almost anyone, “May I give you these? They’re all about Jesus Christ and how He died for our sins.”

3. It’s important that you keep your tracts out of sight.

Only take them out of your pocket or purse when you’re ready to hand it to the person. If people see you coming with something in your hand, they automatically try to figure out what you’re going to give them. This can cause a negative response before you even say a word. Don’t put a person on the defensive by making them wonder what you’re up to.

4. When you hand the person a tract,

almost without fail they will look at it and read at least the first few lines. The first second or two while they’re reading is a great time for you to say, “That’s about Jesus, do you know Him as your Savior?” (This is another great thing to say when you approach someone with a tract).

5. If you’re a novice at witnessing,

you might want to let the tract do your talking by reading the tract with the person after your initial approach. That’s done like this; “Can we go over this together?” Then as you’re standing beside them you begin reading the front cover out loud. Turn each page and read every word, allowing them to look at the tract as you read.

6. If the tract has a prayer at the end,

stop just short of that and say something like, “If you would like to give your life to Jesus Christ, I will pray this prayer with you – would you like to?” If they agree, continue reading, but have them read the prayer out loud with you.” After the prayer, lovingly welcome them into God’s family and either invite them to your Church or direct them to a Church in their area.

7. Use thought-provoking questions when sharing Christ:

One of the questions we ask people is; “If you died and were standing at the gates of Heaven and God asked you, ‘Why should I let you in my heaven?’ What would you tell Him?”

This question confronts the person with three realities: I WILL die. Where will I GO when I die? and WHAT does God require of me to enter His heaven?

Most of the time the people we talk with don’t know the answers and they are very open to hearing the truth based on what the Bible says. Also, most of the time, they give their life to Christ right there.

Encounter Witnessing means trusting the Lord to put people in your path who need to hear about Him. There are also times He will reroute your steps in order for you to encounter someone. We believe the Lord is very deliberate about this; therefore, we must be deliberate in reaching out to those He puts in our way. “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 NLT”

We have 2 Real-life Stories to share with you that demonstrate Encounter Witnessing. Our hope is that you will learn a few things about how we share Christ, how to approach people, what to say, how to be led of the Holy Spirit in witnessing, recognizing the enemy & dealing with spiritual warfare, etc.

True Story Number 1:

It was Christmas Eve, and I was running errands in preparation for a get-together with family and friends at our home that evening. I was pushed for time since guests were scheduled to arrive in a couple of hours. As I sat waiting for a red light to change, I glanced over to my right and saw a woman walking in the same direction I was going.

She was pushing a baby stroller and a man was with her carrying plastic bags of groceries. They were obviously of Latin descent and you could tell by the way they were dressed that they had very little.

When the light changed I pulled ahead of them, through the intersection and into the corner service station on the right. As I looked back, I grabbed some Spanish Gospel tracts and shoved them in my pocket before getting out of the car. Walking toward them I made eye contact and smiled to let them know I was making a friendly gesture.

“How are you?” I said, “My name is Barb.” Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out two tracts and offered them to them. “May I give these to you?” I asked, “They’re all about Jesus Christ and how He died for our sins.”

They greeted me warmly and took the tracts. They spoke very little English, so we spoke in Spanish. “I saw you walking with the baby and I wondered if you needed help?” I continued. They explained that they lived over a half-hour away – in the opposite direction! They were headed to a McDonalds several miles down the street to wait for a friend. However, the friend didn’t get off work for several hours.

I could feel the struggle between the Holy Spirit’s gentle leading and my thoughts screaming, “You can’t get involved, you have guests coming in two hours!” Yet, deep inside, I knew the Lord wanted me to help them. “Come on,” I said with a big smile, “Get in the car and I’ll take you home.”

They were excited and quickly put everything in the trunk before they piled into my little car. As I drove, they told me about themselves: Perla is a young Mom and her daughter Sofia is one year-old. Her husband’s cousin, Alberto, was carrying the groceries they would need to prepare their Christmas meal that evening (In many Latin communities, Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve with a traditional meal of home-made tamales).

They didn’t seem to notice the fear that was flooding over me as Satan bombarded my thoughts with things like; I don’t know these people! I must have been crazy to pick up total strangers! What was I thinking? They could rob me or hit me over the head or worse yet, kill me, etc., etc. Of course Satan knew what he was doing because the fear was hindering me from being able to concentrate on sharing the Gospel with them.

Arriving at their house, I knew that I had to see them again. There was no doubt in my mind that the main reason God had put them in my path was for me to lead them to Christ. Satan had won the first round, but I knew from experience that God would show me the way to win the next round for Him – and it would take perseverance – and more of my time!

So the next day, instead of spending a quiet day at home celebrating Christmas, we covered the situation in prayer and our son, Terry, and I drove to their house to share the Gospel and give them the opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. They didn’t have a phone and without calling them we had no guarantee they would be home. So we asked the Lord to make sure they would be there, and He did.

We met Perla’s husband, Geronimo, and also Victor, a friend who lives with them. We saw Alberto, who also lives there and we met his girl friend, Susana, who was visiting. There was no Christmas tree, no presents, no meal, except left-over tamales, because there was no money.

I asked if I could speak to the group and I began, “The Lord Jesus Christ has sent us here to tell you how much He loves you and that He died on the cross for your sins.” As I explained “we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” they listened intently. “But Jesus said that each of us must be born-again if we are to be His children – and I would like to tell you how you can experience that.”

We continued sharing the Gospel and when we finished, we asked them individually if they would like to repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ into their lives. All five of them said “Yes!” We had come to share the Gospel with two or three people, but God had a greater plan, and on Christmas Day, five people were born-again into His kingdom!

True Story Number 2

Dave watched the man from afar. It was a miracle he could even be there. His health had not permitted him to get out much, but our grandson Drew was visiting and Dave knew that he really wanted to go shoot targets down at the river with his grandpa. You know, just plink around like guys like to do. So, Dave rested up in advance and saved up his energy for an afternoon with Drew at the river.

The man Dave was watching, we’ll call him “Wayne,” had come to the river alone and parked a ways down from them. After awhile, Dave felt led to walk over and say hello. Wayne, responded rather coldly, but Dave lovingly persisted, and soon they were in conversation. Before long, he was telling him all about himself. Under apparent conviction of the Holy Spirit, he talked about his regrets – he blamed himself that his oldest son, professed to be an atheist; and his other son doesn’t want anything to do with God.

He said doctors recently told him he probably had melanoma cancer. A biopsy was scheduled for the next day. He feared that the surgery to remove the cancer would cripple him for life as the tumor was right on top of his spine.

Dave said, “Wayne, if you died and were standing at the gates of Heaven right now and God said to you, ‘Why should I let you in my heaven?’ What would you tell Him?”

“Well,” he said, “I’ve never killed anyone and I’ve never robbed a bank, so I don’t think I’m too bad.” Dave explained, “It only takes one sin to separate us from God, but Jesus Christ died on the cross for all your sins and the sins of the entire world. You see, it is only through accepting Jesus as your Savior that you can enter heaven. How about it Wayne, would you like to give your life to Christ right now and accept what He did for you on the cross at Calvary?”

With tears flooding down his face, Wayne repeated the sinner’s prayer. His countenance changed immediately and the new creature that he had become was apparent in his face; his speech and everything about him was different! Sitting there in a peaceful setting, under a tree with the river rambling by, Dave continued praying with Wayne for his healing and for the salvation of his sons and his wife.

Before Dave and Drew left the river that day, Wayne said, “Dave, it’s no accident you’re here. God sent you.” He was right of course; we serve a great and mighty God Who plans an afternoon for a grandson and a grandpa to spend time together, and in the midst of it all, He sends along a sinner who desperately needs to hear about Jesus.

Street Witnessing

2010-03-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

Part 3 in a Series of 6 on “How to Share Christ”

What is Sharing with Strangers?

1. It is speaking to strangers and passing out tracts in high-traffic, public places. The purpose is to confront people with the Gospel, telling them about Jesus Christ, God’s Son and how He died for their sins.

2. The best place to do this type of witnessing is where there are lots of bars and clubs, along with tattoo parlors and stores that sell drug paraphernalia. In other words, the worst part of town! People living in or frequenting these areas are generally not believers. High-traffic and lost people are the perfect combination for street witnessing.

3. There is quite a surprise element in sharing Christ in these areas. People you encounter on the streets in bad areas of town are generally there because they are living in darkness and the last thing they want to see is the light of Jesus Christ. When you approach them, they may act surprised because a Christian is the last person they expect to see there. But this is good because then you’ll get to explain that you are there to tell them about Jesus and how He died on the cross for their sins.

Be prepared

Be sure that you’re “prayed up” and ready for spiritual warfare when you share Christ like this. You’re in Satan’s territory and he doesn’t give up his captives without a fight. The rewards for your work are bountiful though because as you pray and commit yourself to the Lord, He will empower you for this work. Also, there is no fruit sweeter than seeing a sinner come to Christ who’s been living full-time for the devil.

A Real-life Example of Street Witnessing

I once had a group of people with me in Juarez, Mexico and we were doing this type of witnessing in the red light district. Prostitution is legal in

Mexico

and it was past midnight on a Saturday night as we walked the streets. There were so many people milling around, it was hard to keep our group together.

We had a wonderful response from the people we talked to that night and one man who prayed to receive Christ was a male prostitute that God touched in a profound way. At one point, as we were passing out tracts, we stopped and talked to people who were waiting in a long line outside a night club. Many of them spoke English which made it easy for our group to share Christ with them.

One young lady I talked with clung to me when I handed her a tract and shared Christ with her. Her friends kept laughing and pulling her away and I could tell she was torn between serving God and Satan. She was crying as she left. Looking back at me, she kept saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I have to go with them!”

This was very unsettling for our entire group and we grieved for her. It was as if the Lord gave her a chance to follow Him and turn away from her sin, but she gave in and went with the crowd instead. The one consolation I had was that she kept the gospel tract I gave her and I knew the Lord would use it in her life.

That tract contained the Word of God and the Lord says in Isaiah 55:11 NKJV, “So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Silent witnessing

Leaving tracts in public places is a form of street witnessing, but it’s totally non-confrontational It can be a powerful tool in reaching people for Christ. Some Christians keep tracts with them at all times and deliberately leave them in unlikely places as they go about their daily business. Others regularly make trips to government buildings, shopping malls, flea markets, etc., strictly for the purpose of placing tracts where people will find them. Either of these methods is an easy way to spread the Gospel and almost anyone can do it.

Many people are not sure what type of tracts to use. There are a lot of different styles and types of tracts available, but a good tract is simply one that someone will pick up and read! Whatever type you choose, it should be attractive, clean and not crumpled. It should be biblically correct with clear steps for a person to follow in giving their life to Christ. If you can find them, tracts that have a salvation prayer that a person can follow are the best.

Chick Publications makes a good case for using cartoon type tracts; a Missionary told them that Communists in

China

developed a powerful way to reach the multitudes and they stole the technique from us! It seems that years ago their agents watched our children spend hours and hours reading comic books. So they spent millions of dollars printing their propaganda in a cartoon format – and their results were extremely successful!

We have enclosed a cartoon-type tract for your use. If you’re interested in ordering more you can do so at; The American Tract Society (www.atstracts.org). The cost is about $2.50 for a pack of 20 tracts.

Before you go, prepare:

Pray and commit your steps to the Lord and ask others to be praying for you. Pray for safety
Praise Him and thank Him for what He is going to do through you
Remember that you cannot “save” anyone, but ask the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts of those you will be reaching out to and ask Him to give you His words to speak to them. Jesus saves, we’re just His messengers!
Plan ahead. Have your tracts in an accessible back pack, tote bag or whatever way will make it easy for you to work from. This may take some trial and error for you to work out what is best for you.
If you will be in a bad part of town doing street witnessing, do not go alone, plan to take someone with you. In Mark 5:7 NAS, Jesus sent out the twelve disciples in pairs.

As you go, remember these things:

Pray unceasingly and remember that you’re a threat to Satan because you’re pointing people to Jesus who are otherwise headed for hell. Stand against your enemy in the name of Jesus who defeated him on Calvary through His shed blood
Never put anyone down and don’t be drawn into an argument
Smile and express the love of Christ – you are on His business and you are His ambassador
As you go, have an attitude of praise
Don’t force a tract or your words on anyone. Be gentle and considerate. Titus 3:1-2
Be positive and bold when you speak to people
Don’t be discouraged if you’re rejected. Satan devises ways to discourage us so that we’ll give up and stay away from those he holds captive. Press forward in the name of Jesus!

A Real-life Example of Using Tracts to Share Christ

In 1971, my husband Dave accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He was 35 years old. Looking back at the years that preceded his salvation experience, I can see how the Lord worked in our lives. He allowed good and bad circumstances to shape and move our family toward the time when He would confront Dave with the reality of a Savior that loved him so much that He died for him personally.

After Dave was saved he told me how the Lord had used Gospel tracts to point him to Christ. We owned a business and each day he would check the different jobs we had going. There were no cell phones then, so he frequently stopped at phone booths to call the office and get messages. Very often, too often to be a coincidence, he would find a Gospel tract lying on the tray under the pay phone. He was drawn to the message and in his curiosity to learn more, he would look around to be sure no one was watching, then he’d shove the tract (pamphlet) in his pocket and read it later in his truck. Dave & Barb Leonard, 2003

God dramatically used those little tracts to acquaint Dave with the loving Savior, Jesus Christ. We’re grateful to the faithful Christians who put tracts in places where he’d find them. God used them to plant seeds that in time, would lead Dave to accept Christ.

Submit Yourself to God

2010-03-14T08:10:00.004-05:00

Part 2 in a Series of 6 on “How to Share Christ”

1. Anything we do for God starts with preparation. God does things altogether different than the world. He wants to prepare you in such a way that you will permit Him to do His work THROUGH you - And that always starts with Him doing His work IN you.

2. To submit means in part to yield to another person. It also means to surrender. My dear child in the Lord, Mona Corwin laughs and says “Whatever topic Barb is teaching on, you can be sure it will include surrendering to God!” And she’s right.

3. Surrender means giving God permission to take out and put into your life what pleases Him…in other words you give up your right to do as you please.

4. Have you ever fully surrendered yourself to Him? Whatever your situation, He beckons you to come just as you are and surrender it all. Only empty vessels can be filled and He will indeed fill you until you are overflowing with His Holy Spirit.

5. Thank goodness the Lord doesn’t wait until we’re perfect to use us. If He did, His work would never get done! If you’re not already sharing Christ with others, we hope you’ll start today. The Lord will continue working in your life as you go about His business!

Do you really believe God? This is a question we sometimes ask each other to be sure that we’re being obedient to the Lord and to His Word. We want to be sure we’re not just believing in God, but truly believing Him in the sense that we take to heart what His Word says and therefore do what it says.

A good example of what we’re talking about is the Great Commission Jesus gave us in Matthew 28:19 (Living Bible). “Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and then teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this – that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Jesus gave this command to his eleven disciples, instructing them to teach others. Their obedience to His command can be seen in the Book of Acts, along with the fruit of many thousands being saved. The original eleven started sharing the gospel where they lived and they taught those they brought to Christ to do the same. From there, they took the gospel to other cities and countries.

However, somewhere along the way, Christians started putting this job into the hands of mission organizations, pastors and evangelists, and God has gloriously used that, but there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that Christians were to stop sharing Christ on an individual basis.

Dave and I never set out to be Evangelists. We simply read in the Bible that Jesus said to tell the world about Him and we took it personally and seriously – we simply believed Him. We began telling family, friends and co-workers what Jesus did for us and that He had a plan for their lives too. We really didn’t know “how to witness” but the Holy Spirit faithfully helped us and sometimes used us in spite of ourselves!

What about you? Are you willing to place your fears and pride at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to help you share Christ with someone that He puts in your path? Are you ready to not only believe in God, but truly believe Him? He’s waiting for you to take the first step and He promises to be with you.

Steps to keep in mind as you share your faith…

Love is the strongest motivator in the world

If a person feels you really love them, they will open up to you and hear what you say
Don’t try to fake love – the world knows the difference
If you feel you’re lacking in love, ask the Lord to pour His love into your heart so you can share His love with others
Love means you tip extra; you show people respect; you never condemn; you go out of your way to help people even if it costs you time and resources
Be willing to let the other person have the last word if they are not willing to hear what you have to say – love doesn’t get mad. Never return evil for evil, but return good for evil.

Invest in inexpensive materials and keep them handy

Good gospel tracts are inexpensive and a great tool for sharing your faith – we discreetly leave them in public places such as bathrooms; we also put them in envelopes when mailing bills; our bank deposits are tucked inside tracts when we go through the auto-teller, etc.
Gospel tracts are also a great ice-breaker when speaking to people about Christ. Hand someone a tract at the fast food place and as you do, look them in the eye, smile and say, “This is about Jesus – do you know Him? (more about this later)
You can check out gospel tracts online at www.atstracts.org – look under “Evangelism.”
We give paperback New Testaments to new believers and others who need them. We prefer they start with Jesus’ teachings beginning in Matthew, and they’re not as likely to do that if we give them full Bibles.
You can get the New International Version New Testament in paperback at www.ibsdirect.com for under $1 each if you buy by the case

A Real-life Example of This Teaching

Have you noticed that keeping up repairs on a house is never ending? Just about the time you think everything is fixed and in good working order, something else breaks down! Since we can no longer do many of the repairs ourselves as we did in our younger years, we recently called a company to check out their prices and set an appointment for an estimate.

I__ and F__ introduced themselves and right away got down to business. We treated them warmly…“Can we offer you a cup of coffee or something cold to drink?”…as we showed them the work we needed done. I__ gave us a cost estimate and after we picked ourselves up off the floor (smile), we told them to go ahead and do the work.

After several hours, they finished the work and we invited the two guys to sit down for a minute while we wrote out a check. A key factor in making people feel at ease is to show them genuine love and respect. It’s amazing how people respond to this.

We gave them tracts and asked them the question, “What if you died tonight and God said, ‘Why should I let you in my heaven?’ What would you tell Him?”

I__ said he thought he’d probably go to heaven because he’d been a pretty good person. We asked if we could show him something, and pulling out a New Testament, we turned to Ephesians 2:8-9 (New King James); “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

We explained that according to the Bible, it’s impossible to be good enough to inherit eternal life, but you don’t have to - Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins…He took your place and if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that He is Lord, the Bible says you will be saved (Rom 10:9). Jesus is God’s gift to the world so that we might have eternal life. It is only through your belief in Him that God will let you into His heaven.”

F__ was listening intently and taking all this in, but he seemed to prefer to sit back and let I__ do all the talking. We continued… “I__, do you believe the Bible and that Jesus died for your sins?” “Yes, I do, I definitely do,” he said. “Then don’t put off giving your life to Christ…the Bible says ‘Today is the day of salvation.’… none of us has a guarantee that we’ll see tomorrow. Would you like to pray right now and know for certain that if you die tonight you will be with Jesus?” “I’d like to do that,” he said.

We turned to F__, smiled and said, “What about you? He answered, “Well, I gave my life to Christ when I was a teenager, but I’m not living for Him the way I should. I need to make things right.” We said, “F__, would you like to pray with us now and rededicate your life to Christ?” “Yes, I would” he said.

The four of us prayed together. I__ repented of his sins and gave his life to Christ and accepted Him as his Savior. F__ repented and made his life right before God. These men looked like a huge load had been lifted off of them – and indeed it had! F__ and I__ left that day with Bibles and literature and plans to find Bible teaching Churches they could attend with their families. Please pray for them to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Pray that their families will be saved.

A lesson to learn on looking back at this true story: If you are serious about submitting yourself to God to be used by Him, you will always be looking ahead at how you may share Him with others. We were prepared to share Christ with I__ and F__ before we made the phone call to have the house repairs done. We had tracts and New Testaments on hand to share. When the repair men came in, we were looking for the right opportunity to talk to them about the Lord. We try to take every opportunity to turn a worldly situation into a time to tell others about Jesus. Years ago we started with small steps as we shared about Christ. We encourage you to do the same. Take small steps and before you know it, sharing Christ will become second nature!

Making Yourself Available to God

2010-03-14T08:00:00.004-05:00

Part 1 in a Series of 6 on “How to Share Christ”

1. Making yourself available means being sensitive to people you come in contact with, realizing that God is orchestrating your life and putting people in your path, from casual encounters to those you live and work beside. The more available you make yourself to Him, the more He will use you. This follows the same principle of Luke 6:38; “Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down…” If you make yourself available to be used by God, He will cause people to cross your path that He has prepared to hear the Gospel.

2. Making yourself available means seeing people as God sees them. People hide behind masks and sometimes those who act like everything is great are the ones hurting and needing God the most. God is not impressed by outward appearances…He looks at the heart. When you look behind the masks people wear, you will see that they are just like you and need a Savior. I Samuel 16:7; John 3:16-17

3. Making yourself available means commitment. Perhaps there is someone you know or will meet who is crying out to God, but they have never shared their need with anyone. Are you available for the Lord to use you in their life? If you would like to be, then pray this prayer:

Dear Lord, give me discernment and help me see people’s hearts and their needs as you see them. Help me realize that the people around me are not there by accident, but are there for Your purposes. I give my fears to you and ask You for boldness to reach out and tell others about You. Help me to minister love and the Gospel to those who don’t know You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Real-life Example of This Teaching

So much of what God has accomplished through my husband Dave and me in ministry, has been learned through trial and error. We simply had a heart to be used by God, so we jumped in with both feet with only scripture as our guide and the Holy Spirit as our Teacher and the Lord has blessed our efforts.

After we had been witnessing on the streets of Boulder, Colorado for a few years, we spent some time with Ed Human and later with Arthur Blessitt. Arthur had paved the way for a new form of street witnessing in California and Ed learned under him. We were privileged to learn from both these men and we still use many of the concepts they taught us in our ministry today.

Ephesians 4:7-12 says that after the Lord Jesus Christ ascended on high, He gave gifts of ministry to His Church, “…To prepare God’s people for works of service…” With this scripture in mind we offer this series on Sharing Christ, in order to prepare you for works of service.

One of our early converts to Christ was Thomas Trask. When Tom was a young boy. only 9 years old, his Father was diagnosed with cancer and he died three months later. Tom was devastated by his Father’s death and the pain he felt for many years did a lot to shape his behavior and affect the choices he made as he grew into manhood.

Raised in Colorado, Tom loved the mountains and developed a passion for the outdoors. He didn’t do especially well in school, although he was a true genius. While in high school, a teacher recognized his high level of intelligence and encouraged him to take the Mensa test. He was accepted into Mensa International at the age of 17 with an IQ of 173.

Tom left home to attend Colorado University in Boulder, but drug and alcohol addiction ultimately caused him to drop out. Eventually he ended up living on the streets, a hopeless alcoholic and heroin addict, begging for money to finance his next high.

He was in and out of jail for minor offenses and officials recognized his addictions and put him on methadone to kick heroin. But methadone itself is highly addictive, so he simply traded heroin for a different habit. He supplemented methadone with other drugs he could buy on the streets, including cheap wine.

Sometimes, homeless people were picked-up for drunkenness and hauled off to the mobile home that housed the Alcoholic Recovery Center (ARC) until they sobered up. For Tom, this turned out to be a divine intervention from God…you see the ARC was located down the street from the small Church where my husband Dave was Associate Pastor!

It was a warm Saturday morning when Dave and our son Terry went to the Church to mow the yard (yes, this was part of his job as Associate Pastor!). They were busy working when they looked up and saw a pathetic looking guy coming out of the ARC - and he was heading straight for them! Wise to the ways of the street people, Dave shook his head and said, “Uh oh, this guy’s going to hit me up for some money.”

Sure enough, as Tom approached them he motioned toward the ARC and said candidly “I just got out of there and I need a drink really bad, do you have any spare change?” Dave smiled and said, “No man, I’m sorry I can’t help you with that.” Handing him his card and looking him straight in the eye, he continued, “But if you ever want to be turned on to Jesus, give me a call”

Tom shoved the card in his shirt pocket and continued down the street. As Dave watched him walk away, he couldn’t help but notice several thick paper-back books that were sticking out of his pant pockets. “Wow, this guy must be a voracious reader!” he thought to himself. Little did he know that the street people had given Tom the name, “Professor” because he always had his head in a book.

About 9:30 that evening, our phone rang. “Preacher Dave,” Tom said, “they put me back in the ARC and I’m pretty drunk right now, but I’ve been thinking seriously about what you said. Do you think you can come down in the morning and talk to me?” Dave said, “You bet, I’ll be there at 8:30 sharp.”

Tom was waiting for Dave when he arrived and they sat together on his cot and talked. He told Dave that something happened the night before he met him in the Church yard. He said “I was lying here looking up at the ceiling and I cried out, ‘Show me if You’re God…I don’t know if You’re Buddha, or Jesus, or who You are. I don’t even know if You exist, but show me if You’re there!’”

Using his Bible, Dave showed him about Jesus and Tom said, “I never knew this. No one ever explained the Gospel to me before…” Soon they were on their knees praying and Tom gave his life to Christ. He was 24 years old.

There was an immediate and miraculous transformation in this man and his countenance literally glowed! Instantly God delivered him from alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Dave offered to take him to Teen Challenge and Tom accepted. That same day he began an intensive 18-month period of rehabilitation through scripture memorization. When Tom finished the program, he went on staff as a Counselor and had a huge influence in the lives of many young people. Later in his life, Tom received a degree in Computer Science and became a software developer.

A number of years ago Tom was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and Cirrhosis of the Liver….a painful reminder of his past, although he had been walking 25 plus years with the Lord. He underwent extensive chemotherapy for the Hepatitis and eventually resumed a fairly normal life.

In December 2006, he complained of feeling like he had the flu, but continued working. Two days after Christmas, he met his two sons, Sam and Peter for lunch, but returned home feeling sick and went in to lie down. Shortly after, he got up and frantically told his wife Liz, “Call 911, I can’t breathe!” Immediately he passed out, falling into her arms.

Thomas P. Trask passed into the presence of Jesus on December 27, 2006. The cause of death was Advanced Cirrhosis of the Liver. He was 56 years old. He lived 32 of those years faithfully serving His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Liz said Tom loved singing praise songs to the Lord and those are precious memories for her….Sam and Peter said they never saw their Dad waver in his faith. Tom remained an avid reader until the end of his life. He always seemed to be at the library checking out or returning books. As a matter of fact, in the days following his death, his family returned 25 books to the library – and that was just one week’s worth of reading for Tom!

“Precious in the sight of the Lord

is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15

A Lesson to learn on looking back at Tom’s story: Remember the night before Tom met Dave in the Church yard? Tom cried out to God to reveal Himself to him. God used Dave because he had made himself available to Him.

We shudder to think what might have happened if Dave had avoided Tom. What if he had gone inside to avoid talking to him? The truth is that many of us do things like that. We’re afraid that we won’t know what to say, or we’re just afraid of certain people, so we make ourselves unavailable. If you ask God. He will give you the words to speak and the boldness to step out of your comfort zone.

Update on Tom’s story: Tom’s wife Liz remarried in 2009. She is happily married to a fine Christian man, Gregory Hawkes.