Rejoice With Me! Again!

This morning in our devotions, we read in Billy Graham's Hope for Each Day.  And then we turned to our scripture reading, Matthew 20, the parable of the workers in the vineyard. As we talked about what it might mean that God seems unfair, it's really His grace.   As we were discussing grace and how Jesus died for us and our sins, Joseph said, "I think it's time for me to accept Jesus."  I asked him what he understood by that. He said, "I can't believe He did all that He has done with just 12 guys. And I am so thankful that God sent Jesus here to die for my sins so that I can be forgiven." Jesus is still working in lives the way He did with the 12!

 

I am not sure why Joseph is so fascinated with the disciples right now, but I'll take it.

 

He has been asking a lot of questions lately, thinking hard about the sermon, wondering why when we read scripture it always seems to speak to something in our lives.

 

I am very thankful to all the wonderful Christian witnesses who have helped Joseph in making this decision!

Rejoice With Me!

I went to visit a woman today, to pray with her about some medical concerns.  She and her husband told me some wonderful stories of how they have known God is with them, times he has proven His faithfulness.  Their son was visiting, a fellow I have seen off and on when he comes to town.  I have witnessed to him before, but today was the day the Lord moved on his heart and he accepted Christ.  It meant more to his mom to see him come to faith, to now have all her kids in church, than it did to receive a blessing of healing.

Get the water ready, we will baptize Sunday!

Take the Time, Take the Chance

Some men like the fishin'

Some men like the fowlin'

And some men like to hear the cannonballs roarin'

Me, I like preaching,

Especially everything my Lord has done for me




You find unexpected ministry opportunities if you are on the lookout for chances to share Christ. If you are ready to just strike up a Gospel conversation, you may find a great chance to minister. I was visiting someone in the hospital today and as I went upstairs, I noticed a man, a real man, sitting on a bench in the hospital.




When I came back down, he was still there, and I thought he was looking perhaps a little lost. Not like he did not know where he was or where he should be, but like things had become unmoored. So I sat down next to him. I asked how things were.




Not good, he said. He was here with his wife who was getting some “spa treatment” that is sometimes provided for women suffering with cancer, a bright moment in the darkness. I asked him how she was doing. Not good. They have been married about 20 years; it's never long enough.




I asked him if they had a church. I got the evasive answer that when they go, they go to her cousin's church... I asked if he trusted the Lord? Yes, he said with heartfelt conviction and I knew that much was true.




So I knelt down beside him and prayed that they would have the peace of Christ, that they might know that if we have faith in Christ, we live as those who go to die, and we do it triumphantly. I am not sure what else I prayed. When I got back up, there were tears.




There's no time to wait for whatever you think needs to happen before you can ask someone if they know Jesus.

You Can't Tell What Blessings God Will Add to Salvation

Saturday, we had a great youth kick-off at Wes and Justine Holland's farm.  As I was loading up to go home, something struck me.  In between the tiredness, the smug satisfaction that I had not been hit in paintball, and the mellow feeling of fellowship we had had around the campfire, I realized that I no longer feel lonely.  In fact, I could not remember the last time I felt lonely.  And the funny thing is, the thing I am struggling to explain, is that it has nothing to do with people.  It has to do with Jesus.  I realized that when I gave my life to Him in faith, a long loneliness ended.  How many hours, days, weeks, years even, had I spent being with people in the same place at the same time?  And yet still the feeling, the sure sense, that that is all it was, could ever be-- being in the same place at the same time.  And yet when I knew Christ, that ended, without my really perceiving that it had ended. I am not sure I really recognized it until Saturday night.

Perhaps even more amazing as I think about it, after I came to Christ, I passed through some bitter times, times that when I look back on myself, I was definitely ALONE. As in sometimes, there literally were no people around.  Forget having anyone to count on... there was NOBODY around.  And yet I had a constant sense of the presence of God.

I wonder if we could add to our desire for evangelism the knowledge that God will take care of everything.  The hidden struggles of the people we share faith with... even those things will be unraveled and smoothed out, turned to glory, even.

John's Testimony

I guess this is the best first post on my new blog.  Our oldest boy, John, has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.  It has been something that has come up in conversation with him for a few weeks.  You might say, but you are a pastor; your kids are always in church; haven't they always known about God?  Well, yes, I am a pastor, and my kids are often at church.  But everyone still has to have that moment where they know for themselves that they have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

As we have talked about it, we have emphasized knowing that Jesus died for each one of us.  About two weeks ago in evening prayer and Bble study, John said that where God was working on him was about love.  God loves us.  When we don't love ourselves.  There are people we don't love, and we think we have good reasons, but God loves them.  God loves us even though we have sinned against Him.

Last night, we started reading Matthew. Joseph piped up that in Genesis, a couple did not follow God, but in the beginning of the Gospel, Mary and Joseph did what God told them to.  After a bit more discussion, John said, "I want to join the church.". I was very proud of Joseph's "old school" interpretive skills, and very proud, too, that John knew that claiming Jesus as  Lord means that it is also time to join the church.

I asked what was going on in his mind.  He said, "I look back on all the ways He has taken care of me. Like Joe said, something switched.  It's like in the New Testament He made a way for us to start over.  And I think about how after Mommy died, things have been ok.  I didn't think they would be, but He has really taken care of me."

How do we bring our kids to Christ?  By being consistent in Bible study and prayer.  You don't have to be a Bible professor.  get a good devotional book like Billy Graham's Hope for Each Day.  Read it Together in the morning and evening. Pray with your kids.  Talk about the need for forgiveness of sins.  Tell them that Jesus is always ready to receive them.  Tell them often about your own story of conversion, tell them about how your walk with God has helped you.  Ask them regularly if they are ready to accept Jesus Christ, to put their faith in Him.