The Easiest, and Most Effective, Way to Evangelize!

Several months ago I attended the funeral of an old family friend. Johnny lived to be 95 years old and had been friends with my parents and grandparents. He loved the Lord and was active in service at his church for many years. When I talked to his son at the funeral, I learned something about Johnny that I never knew. He and his wife were neighbors of my grandparents many, many years ago. One day my grandfather invited them to go to church with him and they gladly accepted. While attending church with my grandparents, Johnny and his wife Gladys were saved! They spent decades of selfless service in the local church, impacting untold numbers of people. Their lives, and the lives of many others, were changed forever because my grandfather just simply extended an invitation to come to church. 

What about us? Are we telling people about our church? Have we made others aware of our church or is it one of our best untold secrets? Our neglect of others around us is costly and devastating, not only to them, but to us as well! Imagine how many Johnnys and Gladys's we've ignored!

We ALL can do this! Some of us may not feel entirely equipped to adequately answer complicated Bible theology questions, but we certainly can extend invitations to people to come to church to find answers. 

What kind of people must we be if we do not ask others to join in on something that is so vitally important in our own lives? What kind of Christians must we be if we're keeping the church to ourselves? The Bible tells us that we are to love others as we love ourselves. I imagine there's much effort and planning that happens in each of our respective families as we prepare ourselves to get to church and small group each week. Shouldn't some of that effort and planning be directed towards other people? 

How do we do that? Here are a few simple thoughts:

• Have regular conversation about your church with family, neighbors, friends and work associates. Talk about what you're learning, what you're involved in and how it's impacting your life. If we really love something, doesn't it just automatically come up in the course of conversation? If something has a regular profound effect in your life, isn't it something you're going to tell everyone? Speak highly of your church. Airing your frustrations or disappointments does great damage in stirring the interest of others.

• Just talking about church may perk someone's ears up and they may come out of curiosity, but some other people need to be asked directly. They need to feel like they are important enough to you and that you cared enough to ask. Just plainly tell them that you'd like them to come to church with you. Offer to sit with them, meet them in the parking lot or offer to pick them up if necessary.

• Be prepared with the church website information, meeting place and time, phone numbers, etc. The refrigerator magnets available on the information table in the lobby are a fantastic tool for this. Carry them with you and give them to people as you extend your invitation.

• Don't forget to pray that God would lead unchurched people to you and that you could seize every opportunity to speak openly about your church.

If our church is going to grow in its capacity to minister to people and make disciples, then we each need to do our part in making sure that everyone we come in contact with knows that they are welcomed to come and worship with us at Harvest! 

Many blessings to you,
Mark

Jesus: David's Grandson or David's God?

Who is Jesus, really?

It’s always the issue. I have been hit with the debate countless times. The Mormons who showed up to tell me Jesus was Satan’s brother. The Jehovah’s Witnesses who say Jesus was a man, a good man yes, but just a man. And I’ll never forget the 2 enormous Muslim men who challenged me in the prison during Bible study, saying, “The Bible never says Jesus is God.”

Who is Jesus? Is He just a good man? Famous rabbi? Good philosopher? Brother of Lucifer?

As we have walked through Mark, we have seen many challenges presented to Jesus in chapters 11 and 12. Questions meant to trap him. Well, their questions have all failed, and now Jesus is going to hit them with a question.

And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.'

David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?" And the great throng heard him gladly. Mark 12:35-37

The question goes back to the main issue: who is Jesus? The religious leaders in Jesus’ day believed the Messiah would be a man, just a man, but a powerful man from the line of David - and a conquering warrior like David. That’s why many people who acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah of Israel called Him the “Son of David”.

So after Jesus handily addressed their questions, He initiated one of His own. His question boils down to this: If the Messiah is just a human great great great etc grandchild of David, how can David refer to the Messiah as “Lord“?

Good question! It doesn’t make sense… unless David’s descendent is also God in the flesh. Which is exactly what the Bible claims about Jesus (John 1:1,14).

Jesus took them to Psalm 110 - the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. What a profound and deep theological truth is found in the statement: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.

The Lord (God the Father) said to my Lord (the Messiah, God the Son), Sit at my right hand (meaning they are equal in power, rank, and authority), until I put your enemies under your feet (the ultimate victory of the Messiah - defeating sin at the cross and defeating sinners at His Second Coming).

So the question Jesus dropped on the religious leaders has now fallen on your lap. Who is Jesus?

The popular answer of “just some popular Jewish teacher” isn’t an option. Not from Jesus, and not from the prophecies about Jesus, like Psalm 110.

Conquering King, yes, but ultimate Lord of all. Like David, do you call Him, “My Lord”?

Is right understanding of Jesus that critical to salvation? It is according to Romans 10:9: “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…”

Don’t take Jesus for what you think He is. Take Him for Who God’s Word says He is. He is the Lord of all.

p.s. - hear Him gladly

Social Media and God's Word

Technology is quite an amazing thing.   

We live in an age of unprecedented access to information and connectedness.  We have the convenience of online bill pay, instant downloading of our favorite music, breaking news and sports updates, Google maps with street view.  When traveling, I've often asked myself, "what in the world did I ever do before I owned a GPS?".  iPods, iPads, iTunes, iCloud... smart phones, smart apps, smart cars,,, smart everything,   It goes without saying that these and other technological advances are certainly helpful and very useful in our lives.  
 
I remember in the late 1980's when households were getting their first personal desktop computers.  Paranoia gripped a segment of the population who nervously warned us about a drastic shift in the culture.  They called it 'virtual reality'.  Their far-fetched claim was that physical interaction with people would diminish significantly and that our interaction with computers would comprise most of our existence.   We would live life attached to a computer and eventually cease to be who we were meant to be as humans.  We would live in a world dominated by so much technology that it would be nearly impossible to tell the difference between what was real and what was fantasy.   This seemed to be quite an outlandish prediction at the time. 

Today however, the use of such technology is permeating our lives in ways we never thought possible even a decade ago.  Some if it is fantastic, but some of it can actually be harmful if we're not careful.  Our culture is one that struggles with addictions of many kinds, and with regards to technology we have insatiable appetite for social media.   We never seem to get enough.   

What's going viral?  What's trending?  Well, here are a couple things: 

1. Activism:  Social networks have given everyone a platform that they never had before.  In an instant, your closest 700 friends get a piece of your mind about something that is near and dear to your heart whether they care about your cause or not.   We are all guilty of this if we use things like Facebook or Twitter.  There's never a shortage of posts and comments ranging from abortion to physician assisted suicide.  People are not shy about telling you their view on same-sex marriage.  There are conservative posts, liberal posts and every idea in between.  Arguments and rants take place amongst people who are supposed to be 'friends'!   We no longer need to organize a protest and carry a sandwich board.  We can just type a quick statement, press the enter key and within minutes we have 15 snarky comments!
2. Self-centeredness: We love to brag about our vacation, the food we eat, how well-behaved our kids are. We love to post videos of ourselves and take pictures of ourselves.  I have even seen self portraits of people in the bathroom mirror!  Spare me the gory details please!  Social media has given us an opportunity to promote our own glory by shining the spotlight on ourselves and letting us scream, 'look at me!'.
3. Foolishness: Lack of wisdom and discretion online is rampant.  Sharing too much information, sharing links that contain graphic images and posting questionable memes that leave a shock value impression.   Playing games and taking surveys also have the potential to be a huge waste of time, dragging us away from more important things.  You know what I mean:  "Which Cartoon Character are You?", Candy Crush, etc.   I am not against games or surveys.  These are not necessarily evil things (depending on the game, of course!).  I am simply stating that when those activities consume all of our time and dominate our thinking, we are not being wise.  When we're sharing things about ourselves or our families that really are private matters, we are not being wise.  

What does God's Word have to say about all of this? 

While there is nothing in the Bible specifically about electronic devices, tracking your internet usage or choosing a cell phone plan, it does contain several principles that give us clear direction when dealing with technology: 

The Clear Eye Principle:  Matthew 6:22-23 says, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness".  Having a 'clear eye' means having a single-minded devotion to Christ.  It means that we are entirely focused, free from any distractions, with our eyes set on one prize: namely our Savior.  Being zealous for good causes is not inherently evil.  In fact, there are many good things to be excited about and involved in.   But when these causes pull us away from our Lord, then that is a big deal.  When we're distracted from the things of Christ, then it is easy to set Him aside for the sake of our 'pet cause'.   Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith is an intentional daily discipline requiring much diligence and a heart that desires Him far above all else.   The enemy would like nothing more than to put a wedge between us and Christ, and what better way to do it than to have us 'busy' with other things. 

The Shut Up Principle:  Proverbs 10:19 smacks us with this truth, "where there are many words, transgression is unavoidable".  Translation:  speaking a lot will eventually lead us to sin.   As Christians, sometimes maybe it's best to just shut up.  Maybe saying nothing at all actually says volumes.   Before we post something on a social media site, we should ask:  Is my opinion on this matter REALLY necessary at this time?   Is it REALLY that important to stir the pot?   Do I REALLY like controversy and confrontation that much?  Is what I am about to say online REALLY edifying to those who will read it?   Of course there is a time to speak, but we should be very judicious as to when that is, and what words we should use (see also Proverbs 26:4-5 and Proverbs 13:3). 

The Justus Principle:  Acts 18:7 speaks of a man named Justus.  Some Bible versions refer to him as Titius Justus.  Not a whole lot is said in regards to this individual, but one thing we know from the Bible text is that he lived next to the synagogue.  Another important fact we see, which the writer of Acts thought was a vital detail, is that Justus was a "worshiper of God".  When thinking of Justus, one specific and defining characteristic stood out about Justus:  he was a worshiper of God.  Is social media defining who WE are?   Instead of being known as worshipers of God or known for being zealous for the things of the Lord, do people know us for some other external cause we promote?   Instead of people knowing us as humble lovers of righteousness, do people see us the way we appear in our massive collection of 'selfies'?  Instead of being known as people who are heavenly focused, do people just know us as Farmville players?  Just who ARE we anyway?   

So, are we to close out our Facebook account and terminate our cell phone data plan?  The answer to that is a resounding YES, if that technology is causing a distraction in your relationship with your Savior.  Social media can be a great tool and can actually be used to our advantage and benefit, but ONLY if we follow sound principles provided in God's Word that will guide our usage of this advancing technology.

Your PART in Prayer

We believe firmly in the power of prayer.  In fact, that is the third pillar in The Four Pillars of Harvest Bible Chapel.   We believe that God wants to hear from us.  We also believe that God answers prayer because we've seen Him answer them in so many amazing ways!  Whether we have been praying for years or we're new at praying, we can all improve in our relationship with the Lord through this wonderful means of communication.  There are really no formulas for talking to God, but when we 'order our prayers', as David says in Psalm 5:1-3, our alone time with God can be much more fruitful.   Ordering our prayers means that we should not just wonder aimlessly through our prayer time, but rather be organized in our thoughts as we talk to the Lord. 

You may have heard of the acrostic ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication).  This is a really good method to help us order our prayers!  What follows is a similar acrostic that I created that was helpful in our own family teaching time.  I called it ,"Our PART in Prayer".  Praise, Agreement, Requests and Thanks make up this acrostic, each component having some corresponding Bible references and also a sample of how we might pray.  

I hope you find this to be useful in your family and that it ignites a new flame of passionate prayer in your lives. 

PRAISE (Matthew 6:9, Psalm 145) 

God is worthy of my worship and adoration.  He loves to hear how much I love Him for who He is.  God never grows tired of hearing praises from His children.   I can praise God in my prayers by declaring His worth and greatness and majesty. 

"Lord, You are awesome and amazing.  You alone are holy and mighty and powerful.  There is no one like you, God.  All glory, honor and praise belongs to You, O Lord" 

AGREEMENT  (Proverbs, 28:13, 1 John 1:9) 

I need to regularly confess my sins to God in prayer.  Confessing is not telling God something he doesn't know.  He knows everything.   Confessing is actually telling God that I am in 'agreement' with Him about my sins.  I need to tell God about my specific sins.  Being specific is helpful in gaining victory over them.   

"Holy God, I am unworthy to come into your presence.  I have sinned against you.  I have spoken  in ways that are not pleasing to you and I have had a rotten attitude.  I have not trusted you and I  have not been content.   I have not loved You God, with all my heart.   I confess these things before you Lord because I know that you are a forgiving God and I need to be cleansed from my sins".

REQUESTS (James 4:2, Phil 4:6, Matthew 7:7) 

The Bible says 'we do not have because we do not ask'.   Our Heavenly Father wants to provide for me like an earthly father wants to provide for his own children (only infinitely more so!).   I should tell God what my needs are.  These could be material needs, spiritual needs or health concerns.  I can also make requests on behalf of others too.   After I make requests of God, then I should eagerly watch and wait expectantly to see how God will answer. 

"Heavenly Father, because I am totally dependent upon you, I ask for your help in many things. I haven't felt well this week and I need your healing touch in my life. I have a test at school tomorrow; please help me to understand and recall everything I've learned.  I need your help in resolving a personality conflict at work.  I have a friend who lost his job.  Please provide for his  family's every need".

THANKS (Psalm 100:4, Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:18) 

Telling the Lord how thankful I am is so very important, regardless of the circumstances I may find myself in.  I should not only thank Him for the good things in life, but also for the difficulties and trials.  Because I am utterly dependent upon God for absolutely everything, showing my appreciation and gratitude is well pleasing to Him.  Thankfulness glorifies the Lord!

"Thank you, Lord, for all you are and all you have done.  I am so grateful for the gift of your Precious Son who purchased my salvation on the cross.  Thank you for how you always provide  for me:  my food, my clothes, my house, my family.  Thank you so much for the stability in my life and for the people who care about me.  Thank you even for the hard times I am going through because I know that you will teach me something through it”.