In the most recent issue, there was an article on using Thanksgiving for evangelism. It gave tips on everything from who to invite to what to make. I’m curious, did any of you take a step of faith and decide to host a party after reading it?
If weren’t planning on it, there’s still time! Check out the November issue to get lots of ideas and also read this article for even more. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to share Jesus with your friends!
“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.”
-Oswald Chambers
Ten years ago today, the twin towers fell. It was a dark moment in US history, but glimmers of light shone through that day as well. God knew what was going to happen all along and He was there on that day. He had a purpose for all the pain that was caused and He still has a purpose.
On days like today, when fear and pain seem to grip our hearts with iron-fists, we have to remember that God is in control. This world is a scary place, but through Jesus we can have everlasting peace, joy, and security.
“The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress…Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” -Psalm 46:6-7, 10
This article is from the January 2011 issue, but I thought it would be good to re-post as school is starting up. Remember to represent your Savior well this year.
I was curled up in my bed on a rainy, cold afternoon editing this month’s issue when Taylor Swift’s hit single, Tim McGraw, started playing. At first the country melody just made me smile and snuggle deeper in my bed, but when the chorus came I really started to the think about they lyrics. Part of the chorus goes, “When you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think of me.” I don’t know about you, but I hope that when I enter someone’s thoughts, Tim McGraw does not accompany me. I’d much rather it be Jesus.
2 Corinthians 2:15 says, “For we are the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” and Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” As Christians we should be the fragrant aroma and shining lights of Christ. Others should see Jesus through our actions. Does that mean we have to be perfect all the time? Of course not! God doesn’t expect us to be perfect or identical to Him. As creations we can’t be exact replicas of our Creator, but we are expected to imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1). The dictionary defines imitate to “take or follow as a model”. Thus, we’re to model God’s behavior.
The word model is an action; it’s not passive. Too often Christians are passive in their faith, including myself. It’s so much easier to just believe in God and act like everyone else. But the Bible says that even the demons believe in God (James 2:19). The next verse challenges those with passive faith, calling them foolish to think that faith can stand by itself free of works. Faith is completed by works (James 2:22). If we are truly walking with God, we will grow and produce fruit. By spending time with us, others should be able to taste that fruit and see Jesus. They should be able to smell His sweet fragrance and be drawn to His dazzling light.
In His word (Galatians 5:22-23), God gives a list of fruits that should be growing in our hearts if we truly are walking with Him. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. These fruits should come naturally as you walk with God. If you immerse yourself in God’s word and pray on a daily basis, your relationship with God will only get stronger and you’ll produce these fruits.
In this coming year let this be your goal: walk with the Lord in a way that everyone around you will be able to smell and see Him. As Christians, we represent our faith and our God. Represent them both well. When people think Jesus, hope they’ll think of you.
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On a side note, congratulations to Naomi for winning the 100th blog post challenge!
During my family’s five-year stay in Italy, I often wondered how much of an impact I had really made for Christ. I had made several attempts to share the Gospel with my Italian friends over the years and I always did my best to live out my faith around them, but I doubted if they even noticed. Italy is a Catholic country which, oddly, makes ministry ten times harder as they often Italians think they are saved just because their family is Catholic. Thus, with their thinking they were already good to go since they were members of the Church and my language barriers, my message just never seemed to penetrate their hearts.
However, on the one of the very last days of our time in Italy, one of my dear Italian friends came over for one last goodbye. With her, she brought a few small parting gifts and a letter, which she told me to read later on by myself. The letter was full of sweet things like how much she would miss me, but one thing really stood out to me. She wrote that she was inspired by my faith and my dedication to it and the way I lived it out everyday. That brought tears to my eyes. She had been listening after all.
This reminded me again of how sovereign our Lord is. He used my feeble attempts to share with my friends and broke through my many language mistakes to reveal Himself to my friends. Even when it feels like no one is listening or no one can even tell you’re different, they really are watching. Jesus will always shine through you if you let Him. Let me encourage you to live out your faith every single day and invest your time in others, even if it seems useless. God will work through you when you least expect it; don’t let your years as missionary kids slip away from you. Take advantage of your time now and shine for Jesus!
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…” -2 Corinthians 2:15
The next time you feel like God can’t use you, just remember: Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once, Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer…AND Lazarus was dead! Now, no more excuses. God can use you to your full potential!
I posted this on my personal blog and thought I’d share it here as well…
Recently, I’ve found myself avoiding the news on TV and online. It feels like the world has been shaken up real good and thrown back at us like a pair of dice. It’s easy to let fear creep into my heart. It’s easy to forget that God has everything in control. Everyday I just want to yell, “Lord, what is going on??” I doubt I’ll ever fully understand how God is using all the current chaos for His good, but I have to have faith that somehow He is.
On the way to tennis, the song King of the Jungle by Steven Curtis Chapman started playing. I immediately smiled as I remembered performing a dance to it in third grade. As I listened and tugged on my memory to remember the dance moves, I let the words sink in.
Well the day has just begun and I’m already running late
With too many irons in the fire and too much on my plate
I’d be pulling out my hair if I could just get one hand free
And I’d stop this world if I could find the key
What I see is telling me I’m going crazy, but
What is real says God’s still on His throne
What I need is to remember one thing
That the Lord of the gentle breeze is Lord of the rough and tumble
And He is King of the Jungle Yes He is
People say this world’s a jungle and sometimes I must admit
I’d be scared to death if I did not know who was king of it
But the truth is God created this whole world with His own hand
So everything is under His command
It’s old, it’s cheesy. But it’s the truth. I’m glad God used an old Steven Curtis Chapman song today to remind me that He is in charge even when the world is topsy-turvy.
“I will!” As soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted them. We were all huddled around the bus hugging our arms to our bodies to keep warm in the damp morning air. Everyone looked relieved that I had spoken first. The leader smiled his appreciation and went off to talk to someone about the whereabouts of our bus driver. My heart pounded, what had I got myself into? I had just agreed to give my testimony at an orphanage on the first week of my missions trip to Ethiopia. I had never given my testimony before and now I had just volunteered to give it in front of a large group. Yikes.
We all clamored on the bus and set off for AHope Orphanage. There are many orphanages in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, but this one was different because every child there has AIDS and will probably die. We had no idea what we were doing. Maybe we’d teach them English, maybe we’d sing songs, or maybe we’d just play. We were there to do whatever they wanted. Whatever would bring them joy.
The bus turned into a muddy ally and a few minutes later we stopped in front of a blue gate. My stomach flipped. I had already been to two orphanages in the few days I’d been in Ethiopia and I didn’t like them. I was never sure what to do or what to say to the kids. They made me uncomfortable. But this was different. We walked into a large open area with brightly painted walls that shone from the bright sunshine overhead. All the children had smiles on their faces, eagerly waiting to play with us.
I pushed my fears in the back of head and smiled. Soon the courtyard was filled with laughter as all the boys played soccer and kids ran around with our cameras in hand, taking as many pictures as they could. I walked around taking pictures and trying to talk with the kids, but most of them barely spoke any English, so I stood unsure what to do. Finally, I walked over to a group of girls in the corner. Apparently it was wash-and-braid-your-hair-day. They were crowded around one of the leaders, eagerly braiding her hair. I smiled at the sweet sight. One of the girls noticed me watching and motioned me to come sit down. I went over to her and before I knew it she was braiding my hair. It hurt like crazy, but it was worth it. After ten minutes of excruciating pain the girl stepped back and nodded her head in content. She took my camera and took a picture to show me her work. When I saw the picture I felt all bubbly inside; I looked just like them (minus the bright blonde hair)! As I looked up to thank her I caught the eye of one of the leaders; it was time.
We rounded up all the kids and went inside a small, dim room with a tv set playing Toy Story 3 and lots of drawing done by the kids. As I took my place at the front of the room I felt at peace. The lyrics to a song ran through my head. “So tell me, what is our ending? Will it be beautiful, so beautiful?” I wondered how the lives of these children would end. I prayed a quick prayer and waited for everyone to quiet down. My legs were shaking and I looked nervous (as one of the orphans later told me…), but on the inside I was at peace. Thankfully, I had a translator so I didn’t have to worry about them understanding me. I slowly began to talk, explaining about how God has always been there for me and how’s He always takes away my fears. Everyone sat quietly, listening and, hopefully, taking my words to heart.
After I had finished, I sat down. I was finished. I had done it. And God had been with me the whole time. As we drove away from the orphanage I watched them slowly close the gate, straining to see a few last glimpses of the children inside. The bus started to drive away. I closed my eyes, a smile resting on my face. I would never forget that day. It was beautiful.
Julia hurried through the narrow streets, her cloak drawn over her head. Her breaths were quick as she kept to the shadows avoiding the bright burning lights overhead. She froze and flattened herself against the cold wall as footsteps accompanied by voices drew near. The flames overhead seemed to be taunting her as they flicked closer, daring to reveal her. She closed her eyes tight and sucked in, counting slowly in her head to calm herself. She let out her breath only after they had been gone for five seconds. She quickly scurried away, faster than ever to make up for her lost time.
Finally she arrived, out of breath and with flushed cheeks. She crept down a flight of stone steps and ducked inside the low doorway where ten others sat in the shadows. They all froze as she entered, but once they recognized her they all let out their breath. Smiles lit up everyone’s face and relief was evident in their eyes. They were safe. One of the elderly ladies in the corner patted the ground next to her, inviting Julia to sit. She gratefully lowered herself to the ground and tucked her shaky legs underneath her.
Very quietly, in the dim light of a sole candle, they all began to softly hum. Julia felt her heart warm at the beautiful melody and the beautiful reason for their song. The peace was soon interrupted as three men crashed into their room. Julia’s heart leapt in her chest and she instinctively pressed herself back against the wall. The room was lit only by the torch of one of the men for the original candle had died at their entrance. Julia squinted her eyes just enough to see the stern, ugly face of a Roman guard through the flickering flames of his torch. She felt sick at what was to happen to her and her friends. “Having a secret meeting are we?” The tallest one barked. The room was silent. “Answer me!” He screamed into the deathly silence. No one made a sound. “Alright, I’ll be generous this time.” He sneered, “You all know that Lord Nero despises your like, you Christians.” He spat as he said the word. “So, if you’re not a Christian, I’ll give you five seconds to get out!” He narrowed his eyes at them through the flames.
Julia’s mind raced and her throat went dry. She could escape, they all could. But if she left she’d be proclaiming that everything she believed in was a myth. She knew everyone was thinking the same thing. After a second half the people in the room ran past the guards without looking back. Julia watched them flee and made a choice that could very well cost her her life. She decided to stay. The elderly lady next to her stayed also.
It was only the two of them and three others. They sat, waiting, for certain death. After a few seconds the tall guard gave a big sigh, almost in relief. He pulled off his helmet and placed his torch on the wall. His mean eyes suddenly looked warm and friendly. “Good, all the fakes are gone.” He lowered himself to the ground as did the other two “guards”. Julia was amazed. Tears spilled down her cheeks and onto the rough floor. That night she truly worshiped from her heart.*
Most of you probably don’t live in a place where you’re persecuted for our beliefs, but what if you did? Would you be ready to die?
“I don’t care about my own life, the most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me—to tell people the Good News about God’s grace.”
-Acts 20:24
*Based on a true story
