Categories
Reaching Out

We Are Not Here By Chance, and He Is Sending Us Out

Why are you trying to impress and curry favor with people of the world, with non-believers? Why do you care what they think of you? Of course you will receive flak. They attacked Christ and His disciples, so why should they not attack us as well? But don’t worry – He has our backs, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. They are defeated and we are victorious. We are on the winning side.

We are not here by chance, but for such a time as this (Esther 4:13-14). We are called, equipped, and sent forth into battle – spiritual battle, to reach the lost with His Truth, Love, and Compassion. We need to start the day on our knees before God, praying and feasting on His Word. Then we are to put on our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6), and go forth to reach those He brings across our path. When we surrender to Christ and seek His guidance, we will see the Holy Spirit work through us, bearing much spiritual fruit and even miracles.

We will only experience His Joy – the joy of the Lord, when we discern His will for our lives and carry it out with gladness in our hearts. So we need to stand strong, be bold, and be courageous. We are to be the man or woman He has called us to be, and speak His Word and His Truth with love and compassion.

He brings people into our lives for a reason and a season. We are to discern the reason (from the Holy Spirit), but typically we will not know the length of the season, for things are happening fast in the world, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

Time is short, and He is leading us on a great spiritual adventure. It is truly exciting, it is the most important thing we have ever done in our lives, and we will never be the same.

It is time for us to buckle up, go forth, and enjoy the ride. And then He will bring us home. God loves us more than we can imagine, and He can’t wait to welcome us home through the gates of heaven.

So let us go out with GODFIDENCE, walking and speaking as if God sent us, because He has!

To God be the glory

Categories
Reaching Out

Great Questions Are Windows Into the Soul – PART VI – Life Purpose and Calling

Do you know your life purpose and calling? The apostle Paul speaks about this in his letter to the church at Ephesus:

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk
worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all
lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Ephesians 4:1-3

One of the most important things we can do is to help people identify our Lord’s calling upon their life. We can do this by asking them great questions.

This is continuing the series on how great questions can spark deeper conversations, because they are windows into the soul. The key is to know that any question should be followed by listening – really listening, and responding accordingly. We may only use a few of these questions in one setting, but they should be helpful as we seek to converse and witness to others. And always remember – we may just be planting spiritual seeds, but everyone has a story and
needs the Lord.

Great Questions
Do you know the Lord’s calling on your life – the unique and special purpose for which you were created? (We are not here by chance, but for such a time as this.)

Are you fulfilling His calling upon your life? If not, what is holding you back? SO WHAT?

Is it burdens you are carrying that you haven’t given over to the Lord? Is it unconfessed sin or an unwillingness to forgive another?

What are you holding on to from your past that you need to let go of so you can be spiritually clean and free to live life in the Spirit?

What is the most important message you would give to young people today?

How do you perceive other people? As possible friends? Lost souls? Potential brothers or sisters in the Lord?

What else would you like to say?

How can I help you? How can I pray for you?

Categories
Reaching Out

Great Questions Are Windows Into the Soul – PART V: How is the Lord Working in Your Life?

The New Testament describes many instances in which the Holy Spirit directly intervened in the lives of the apostles, and promises that the Holy Spirit will teach, convict, comfort, and direct His people. Has anyone ever asked you “How is the Lord working in your life?” Have you ever asked this of anyone else? If they did, how do you think they would respond?

This is continuing the series on how great questions can spark deeper conversations, because they are windows into the soul. The key is to know that any question should be followed by listening – really listening – and responding accordingly. We may only use a few of these questions in one setting, but they should be helpful as we seek to converse and witness to others. And always remember – we may just be planting spiritual seeds, but everyone has a story and
needs the Lord.

Great Questions
Have you ever seen the hand of the Lord in your life or sensed His presence? When was it, and what was it like?

How is the Lord working in your life? What is He teaching you?

Do you realize that, as a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, and seeks a personal relationship with you?

How does that make you feel?

Do you believe we can discern the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit and be nurtured, convicted, taught, and guided by Him each day?

Do you look for the divine appointments God has for you each day?

Do you understand why God, who is a God of love, allows pain and suffering?

Which do you think is most likely to draw people to the Lord: worldly success or great trials and tribulation?

Categories
Reaching Out

Great Questions Are Windows Into the Soul – PART IV – What Do You Think About God

Has anyone ever asked you “What do you think about God?” Have you ever asked this of anyone else? If they did, how do you think they would respond? This is continuing the series on how great questions can spark deeper conversations, because they are windows into the soul. “How Are You?” is a non-threatening way to start a conversation. “Who Are You?” goes deeper into one’s identity, and “What were the defining moments in your life?” asks about profound, watershed moments in your life. This question asks directly: “What do you think about God?”

The key is to know that any question should be followed by listening – really listening –  and responding accordingly. We may only use a few of these questions in one setting, but they should be helpful as we seek to converse and witness to others.   And always remember – we may just be planting spiritual seeds, but everyone has a story and needs the Lord.

Great Questions

When you die and pass through the veil of death into eternity, what do you think you will see and experience?  Does that make you afraid? Intrigued?  Excited?

If you visited heaven, what do you think you would find?

If you visited hell, what do you think you would find?

What do you think about God? Is He your friend?

What do you think He wants from you?

What do you want from Him?

How do you see Jesus?  What do you think it would have been like to be around Him when He walked on the earth?

Why do you think Jesus died on the cross?

Would you die on the cross for a family member? A friend? A stranger?

Do you spend time with the Lord in His Word and prayer every day?

Do you realize that reading the Bible is a divine encounter with the sovereign, living God of the universe?

Do you realize that worship in the body of Christ is also a divine encounter with God?

Do you pray daily? Constantly? What do you think that means to pray constantly?

Why do you think the Word of God says it is a narrow gate and difficult path which leads to eternal life in heaven and there are few that find it?

How can we stay on the narrow path?

Categories
Reaching Out

Great Questions Are Windows Into the Soul – PART III

Has anyone ever asked you “What were the defining moments of your life?” If they did, how would you respond? This is continuing the series on how great questions can spark deeper conversations, because they are windows into the soul. The first article dealt with “How Are You?”, which is a non-threatening way to start a conversation. The next article asked “Who Are You?”, which goes deeper into one’s identity. And this one asks for more specifics regarding profound, watershed moments in your life: “What were the defining moments in your life?”

The key is to know that any question should be followed by listening – really listening –  and responding accordingly. We may only use a few of these questions in one setting, but they should be helpful as we seek to converse and witness to others.   And always remember – we may just be planting spiritual seeds, but everyone has a story and needs the Lord.

Great Questions

Have there been DEFINING MOMENTS – turning points in your life when you gained some new insight or experienced a radical change that changed the direction of your life? What were they?

Who has had the greatest positive impact on your life?

Do you realize that you can have or are having that kind of impact on other people? Who in particular? Who COULD you have that kind of impact on?

Do you have close friends you can call when your life is falling apart?

Do you have a small group of friends that you meet with on a regular basis to talk about life and death and God?

Categories
Reaching Out

Great Questions Are Windows Into the Soul – PART II

Has anyone ever asked you “Who are you?” Have you ever asked someone “Who are you?” This is continuing the series on how great questions can spark deeper conversations, because they are windows into the soul. The first article dealt with “How Are You?”, which is a very friendly, non-threatening way to start a conversation. This article asks “Who Are You?”

The key is to know that any question should be followed by listening – really listening –  and responding accordingly. We may only use a few of these questions in one setting, but they should be helpful as we seek to converse and witness to others.   And always remember – we may just be planting spiritual seeds, but everyone has a story and needs the Lord.

Great Questions

Who are you and how did you end up here?

Everyone has a story. What is YOUR story? You can then tell them your story, and HIS (Jesus’s) story.

Is there a song, book, movie, or work of art that describes your life?

What would you wear to a costume party?

What story about yourself or your life experience DO YOU TELL THE MOST TO OTHERS?

What story about yourself or your life experience WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL TO OTHERS?

Do you wear a mask in daily life? If so, what is it?

What happens when you take off the mask? How does it affect your relationship with others?

What social pressures or expectations from others make you uncomfortable?

What really makes you come alive?

Categories
Reaching Out

Great Questions Are Windows Into the Soul – PART I

One of the greatest challenges for Christians is how to converse with other people about God. How can we take “nice” conversations to a deeper level that touches the other person’s soul, as well as our own, and provide an opportunity to share the love and truth of Christ with them? Realizing that a true conversation is an interchange between two or more people, this series will explore how go deeper by posing  questions. But any question should be followed by listening – really listening –  and responding accordingly. We may only use a few of these questions in one setting, but they should helpful as we seek to converse and witness to others.   And always remember – everyone has a story and needs the Lord.

How Are You?

How are you? Are you happy? Sad? Frustrated?

What is happening in your life?

What brings joy into your life?

Who or what has broken your heart? Is your heart still broken, or is it on the mend?

What is the cry in your soul at this time?

What are your aspirations – your dreams for the future?

What are you excited about?

Are you afraid of anything? If so, what?

What are you doing that nurtures your soul?

What are you most thankful for?

Would you mind if I prayed for you? How can I pray for you?

Categories
Reaching Out

Memorial Day Salute to Our Fallen Veterans

As you know, this is the day for us to pause from our daily lives to reflect on and remember those who died for our country. And thank you to all of you who served our country in the military, and your spouses, for the service you have rendered to our country. We enjoy freedoms today because of your willingness and that of your colleagues to put your life on the life to protect our nation.

“Mansions of the Lord” is a majestic and compelling hymn that honors those who lost their lives in service to our country. It was sung with trumpet accompaniment at First Lutheran this past Sunday (May 26), and it was magnificent. You can also see it performed by the West Point Band and West Point Glee Club here (https://tinyurl.com/MansionsoftheLord) You can follow along with the lyrics:

Mansions of the Lord

To fallen soldiers let us sing
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Just divine embrace, Eternal light
In the Mansions of the Lord

Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep
All through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord

Our nation faces many grave challenges, so let us pray that our leaders will make wise decisions, to keep us safe and from harm.

Categories
Reaching Out

What Do YOU Bring to the Table?

Several years ago, when a non-profit organization board in the Arkansas Delta met to discuss prospective board members, they always asked: “What do they bring to the table?” They were asking “what could they contribute to our organization?”

What Different Age Groups Bring to the Table

We could ask the same question about people of different ages – what can they contribute to our society:

• BABIES inspire awe, wonder, and love; created in the image of God, they are BRAND-NEW PERSONS, more incredible than a solar eclipse, Niagara Falls, or Grand Canyon.

• CHILDREN contribute curiosity and excitement at encountering the world and learning how to get along with other people.

• YOUNG PEOPLE contribute energy and promise for the future, unencumbered by life’s burdens, unfulfilled dreams, and skepticism.

• MIDDLE AGE PEOPLE contribute their knowledge and skills in work, dedication, and commitment to family – raising the younger generation and caring for the older generation.

• SENIOR ADULTS contribute experience, wisdom, and a knowledge of history that enables them to view current events with deep understanding.

Healthy, Godly societies, communities, families, and churches recognize the critical contributions that each group can make, and act to support, protect, and nurture them. In these settings, individuals in each of the above groups are respected and loved for who they are, and “heard”.

What Does Satan Bring to the Table

In contrast, Satan and his minions seek to steal our identities – who we are as image-bearers of God, kill our bodies in a multitude of ways, and destroy our souls. He not only brings destruction and death to the table (our society, communities, families, and churches), but HE WANTS TO DESTROY THEM.

What Does Jesus Bring to the Table

Not only does our Lord prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5), but He:
• invited His disciples to join Him for a breakfast of fish and bread (John 21:12),
• invites us to dine with Him (Revelation 3:20), and
• offered bread and wine to His disciples at the last supper (Mark 14), an expression of and a precursor to Him giving Himself – His body and blood – on the cross to wipe away our sins and the fear of death forever (Mark 15).

What Do YOU Bring to the Table?

Jesus said we are to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, the first and great commandment.” Then He said we are to “love our neighbor as ourself.”

He is saying – if we don’t spend any time with Him – in repentance, in His Word, in worship, and in prayer, we will have nothing special – NOTHING SUPERNATURAL to share with others. We will be unable to fulfill His calling upon our lives – the grand purpose for which we were created – to impart to others His truth and love.

So let us go forth with boldness and courage to reach others, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory
Board of Evangelism

Categories
Reaching Out

Ten Reasons Why Repentance Is A Really Big Deal

“Repent, repent, repent – I am tired of hearing it. Why do they keep harping on repentance? Don’t they realize we just need to love each other instead of making us feel guilty? WHAT IS THEIR PROBLEM?”

Have you heard that, or something like it? There is false guilt that comes from our culture, but anyone who resists repenting of true sin is resisting the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of our sin. Instead, Christians should welcome conviction and repent – as quickly and as often as necessary, for the following reasons:

1) God is a holy, righteous, and jealous God, and He will not tolerate sin in His presence. If we approach Him with unconfessed sin on our hearts, we are idolators, worshipping another god.

2) Unrepentance refuses Christ’s gift of salvation, because He died for all our sins. We are saying – thanks anyway, I am doing fine and will just keep my sins. And if we refuse His free gift of grace, we will be judged under the Law and found guilty.

3) Unrepentance drowns out the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. The sin in our soul also sends messages to our spirit, and we lose our ability to discern what is from the Lord and what is from the evil one.

4) Repentance frees us from the bondage of sin and death. When we retain sin in our hearts, we remain in bondage, enslaving our souls to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Receiving Christ as our Savior frees us from the slavery of sin and the fear of death.

5) Conviction from the Holy Spirit is our friend, as it is a warning sign that we are straying off the narrow path. But we have to repent of our sins to get back on that path.

6) Unrepentance pollutes our witness to others. Each of us influences others by what we say and do. Unconfessed sin sends mixed messages about Christ and those who follow Him. Laodiceans pollute their passion for Christ with their love of comfort and the pleasures of the world.

7) Unforgiveness is a powerful example of unrepentance. When we are wronged by someone, we feel they do not deserve to be forgiven. True, but neither do we deserve to be forgiven of our sins. And if we don’t forgive someone of their wrongs against us, our Lord will not forgive us of our sins.

8) Unconfessed sin is a cancer to our souls, and we need to get rid of it before it spreads and takes over completely. Repentance kills this cancer to the soul.

9) Unrepentance opens the doors to demonic influence in our lives.

Unconfessed sins attract demons like fresh meat attracts flies, but repentance closes those portals to our soul.

10) There is no sin in heaven. If we arrive at the pearly gates with sin

on our souls, we are idolators and rebels. We are defying the sovereign, living God of the universe by refusing to die to self and live for Christ, which is the entrance fee to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Lord is sending us into the front lines of the great spiritual battle for the souls of men and women – the ultimate prize. But we can only do this if we are spiritually clean, have our spiritual armor on, and are in touch with the Holy Spirit.

If hold on to any sin and refuse to die to self, we are saying no to life in the Spirit – a great spiritual adventure filled with blessings, sorrows, and the joy of the Lord that only comes from His presence in our lives. We will then take this banner of defiance and rebellion against God with us as we march down the broad path that leads the Lake of Fire.

So let us repent, forgive, and go forth with the love and truth of God, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

To God be the glory

Board of Evangelism