Archive - Witness RSS Feed

Romans: You are not in the flesh

October 15, 2012 in Discipleship, Witness with 0 Comments

Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

If you’re God’s, you’re God’s.  If you’re not, you’re not.  There is no in-between.  There is no such thing as a part-time Christian.  You are either in the flesh or in the spirit.

We’re all born once into the flesh.  Our mothers carry us for 9 months and give birth to us, little tiny human infants.  But to be of the Spirit requires a rebirth (John 3:6).  When you claim the promises of God by being saved through faith in Jesus, you are born into the Spirit.  Then, and only then, do you become part of God’s family.

It’s common to hear someone spoken of as a “child of God” and this is true in some regard.  God did create every person who walks the earth, but they are not all His children.  Only those who have been adopted are His.  And those who are His are His forever.  Are you His?  Is the inheritance He’s promised yours to claim?  Do you know Him as your Father?

God’s children live differently than the rest of the world.  We’re not concerned with the things that burden the lost.  We’re able to walk in a godly confidence because we know that the Lord is all-powerful and He is good.  We’ve got what the world is looking for in all the wrong places.  But there’s always more room in God’s family for another.

The Resurrection

March 20, 2012 in Easter, Gospel, Jesus, Witness with 0 Comments

Jesus is Coming

Mark 16:1-8  1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Are you looking for Jesus?  Does it seem to be a lost cause; a search that will never produce any results?  Maybe you’re looking in the wrong place.  Jesus isn’t in the tomb.  He is risen.

Sometimes we have a tendency to make up our own theology, our own doctrine that we think fits our beliefs better than what the Bible actually says.  We make up traits for Jesus that were never true of Him.  We create our own false Jesus.  But the power of the gospel to save lies in the truth of who Jesus Christ really is and what He really did.

It’s hard to swallow, the fact that God came down to earth in the form of a human man and that He lived a perfect life.  It’s harder still to believe that He would sacrifice His own life in place of ours so that we can be reconciled to God.  Hardest of all to grasp is the idea that He rose again from the dead.  That He lives even still today, reigning over all things.  But that’s our hope.  Without it we have nothing.

The hope you and I have that we can one day be with God through resurrection is the fact that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.  If our Savior is dead, then we’re doomed.  But if our Savior lives, then we too can live on forever.  Since He DOES live, we have hope that we can cling to.  Jesus’ resurrection is a truth that changes everything.

The Place of the Disciple in the Political

February 22, 2012 in Holy Spirit, Jesus, Witness with 1 Comment

What is the role of the faithful disciple amidst the political realm?

Of the numerous theological questions that are debated, there are few that seem to be more contentious than this one. Yet it hardly stands as a new issue or one that has only been faced in our present age. It has been one that has plagued the follower of Christ since the birth of his ministry and even before, one that even threatened to draw him in.

The irony of it lies in the inherent danger that comes through the misunderstanding of the faithful and vigilant disciples place amidst this debate. Consider, for example, the life of our blessed Savior himself. Knowing the people had intended to try and crown him an earthly king he would reject the concept himself and withdraw from them. (John 6:15) Yet, when he would stand before Pontius Pilate, he would stand accused of seeking to establish for himself an earthly kingdom with himself as the sovereign over the people. (John 18:33-34)

Though Christ himself did not confuse the two, the confusion that was reaped by others, it offers to us the reason why Christ himself taught to us that we need to “Render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar.” (Matthew 22:15-22)

You see, as with all things, it is a matter of balance. Though the church, and, at the most basic of levels, the faithful disciple need be more concerned with the Spiritual Kingdom and the welfare of the hearts and souls of all people, whereas the state need be concerned with the body and the orderly governance over it, this does not preclude the follower of Christ from participating in the civil offices of government. What it means is that though, as in all things, their character and their leadership should be an example of Christ and His love, (1 Corinthians 4:16) there is no case by which they should impose their spiritual belief on the legal ordinances that administer and preside over the citizenry.

In fact, as exemplified by Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, the three who stood by their faith even as Nebuchadnezzar sought to force them against their conscience, (Daniel 2-3) the only place of civil disobedience against the laws of men are the acts that are forced because of the overstepping of Kings and Princes and States into the Spiritual Realm when they seek to, through any means, compel us to betray our faith. As we are not to force our faith on others, seeking to compel them to live by it, so can no government seek to force us to live contrary to it by their own acts and laws.

This is vital for the disciple of Christ to remember as it gives the primary means for us to successfully utilize ourselves and our faith in our understanding of the means by which God wishes us to live. After all, as C.S. Lewis would once observe, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

Our focus, if we seek to preserve and defend the principles of love, faith, charity and grace, need be on how we, through our lives, our works and our deeds, give testimony to it. There is a fundamental difficulty with this when we focus our faith on the temporal through an earthly focus, failing to understand that Christ’s kingdom is not of this earth. Rather than being a vessel for the Spirit to win hearts and minds, we become intent on being a vessel for our own morality as a weapon to force others to live as we demand in the most self-righteous of ways.

Guided by hope and love be a force for change, for good in the world. Focus on personal charity rather than expecting government to legislate it or mandate it, focus on sharing a message of love to those who are hurt and wounded, the broken hearted and the downtrodden, rather than pushing for a law. Strengthen each other by what you have to give in hope to those around you, and let your life testify to a greater understanding of unity and peace. Each of us, on our own, through the power of the Spirit have the capacity to the greatest good for others while showing them the path to Christ, each day, rather than riling yourself up with current events, ask yourself how you might do that.

In doing this, our concern must be more for the spiritual welfare and edification of others. It must be to uplift them in the true messages of Christ, of which the primary is the freedom of the spirit and the liberty of the soul. By understanding, by living this we can do more for the truest forms of hope and change in this world.

How then, as a disciple of Christ do you see yourself doing the most good? How do you strengthen others? How do you edify them? This is our mandate and it comes from the truest authority over us, our God, as a personal calling to each of us as Christ’s followers. How will you live in it today?

The New Commandment

January 23, 2012 in Character, Discipleship, Witness with 0 Comments

The First Letter of John

1 John 2:7-14 7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

(Click to continue reading 1 John 2:12-14)

What is this old commandment that’s a new commandment that’s really an old commandment?  What does John refer to?  He is speaking of the commandment given to him personally from Jesus himself.  Love God and love others. What was given in the Old Testament as Law (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18) was confirmed in the New Testament by Jesus as being relevant even after His coming (Matthew 22:34-40).

Notice John’s reference to darkness and light, just like how he speaks in his presentation of the Gospel (John 1:1-13). He’s presenting a contrast for us to realize that the world’s darkness can’t overcome the light of Jesus.  When we obey the command to love God and love others, we shine a light in the darkness so bright that it can’t but be seen.  It’s a shining city upon a hill, giving off a beacon of light for others to recognize.

When we love, we show God to the world.  When we serve, we show them the character of Christ and glorify Him.  When we obey, we do a great work of evangelism (Matthew 5:16).


Idle Words

January 12, 2012 in Character, Witness with 0 Comments

Psalm 19:14

 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

“Preach the Gospel always, use words when necessary,” is a quote commonly attributed to St. Francis. I believe we start shining God’s light through our unspoken lives, but have noticed how quickly we can damage our witness with our idle words or useless chatter, not to mention, godless unwholesome jokes and conversations.

Matthew 15:18 says “the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean.” What we put in our minds is often what we let slip into our hearts and then through our lips.

Let us guard our hearts and minds from the things this world has to offer and let us strain what we receive in a day through the sieve of God’s word so that only His words may take root in our hearts and His words will be what our mouths utter. Cling to the goodness of our God and resist the temptation of ungodly speech.

Oftentimes I feel as if I am of little importance in the grand scheme of things. This kind of thinking can lead to apathy toward and justification in the way we use our words. Yet, the closer I draw to God the more I realize He has a purpose and plan to use each one of us for the revelation of His glory to this world through our words and actions.
Heavenly Father help us lay at your feet what we let into our
hearts and what we let slip through our lips. Teach us to be slow to
speak idle words and quick to put our thoughts on you.


A Public Display

January 11, 2012 in Bible, Character, Discipleship, Jesus, Pride, Witness with 0 Comments


There is a warning from our blessed Savior that all of His faithful disciples must heed lest they fall into the trap of arrogance, pride and self-righteousness. It is the cautionary counsel that informs the spiritually aware not to make their faith into a show, or a matter of theater for others to see. (Matthew 6:5-18) What is done in secret, He admonishes, is done for God to take notice of, it need not be seen by others.

Yet what does that really mean? What does it mean and what effect is it meant to have on the life of the faithful and the devoted given in a life to Christ?

Every now and then when faith is displayed for the world to see, that question seems to arise as those words of Christ as quoted. We see it even today amidst our society as the public displays of devotion of some are shunned and sought to be ushered away, making it almost sound as if that humility before the God of our creation is something shameful. How then do we answer that question in a spiritually aware way, and how do we reconcile the proper degree of piety with the marvels of the wonders of God’s blessings we want nothing more than to show the world?

As with all the teachings handed to us by the Divine Word of our Lord, we must allow for Scripture not only to guide us, but to interpret itself for us. There is nothing hypocritical, nor is there any degree of arrogance in displaying your faith for the world to see. In fact, without the works we do, meant to be given in love to others as a sign of devotion to Christ, (John 13:34-36), our faith stagnates and dies. (James 2:14-26) Grafted to the tree of life, our spirits, given to God, are meant to bear fruits. These are meant to be seen, they are meant to be gifts from us to others that we may edify and nourish the whole being of those around us in need.

So clear is Christ on this matter that the next verses (Matthew 6:19-24) warn of us of storing our treasures, of hoarding them deep from sight. What greater treasure have we than the faith that saves us in the redemption that it offers unto us?

At the core of Christ’s teaching is not to hide our faith away, as if it would be sinful for us to display it. If it were there would be no greater hypocrite and sinner than the perfect Son of God whose blameless life made way our path on high. What our Savior tried to demonstrate was a lesson about the self-righteous judging of others based on faith. It meant to teach us a deeper lesson about how we must look at ourselves and look at others, never elevating ourselves above them, living a life devoid of love while claiming to understand the heart and mind of our God.

In humility we are meant to live in service to one another, caring for each other as we care for ourselves and our own spiritual growth, and wellbeing. This cannot be done by locking our faith away from sight, just as surely as it cannot be done with judgmental eyes and scornful tongues.

As a faithful disciple of Christ show your faith, not as a point of pride but as the sign of your humility before a God who calls on you to live a life in service to others, to strengthen and edify those around you. Remember the world will always judge you for it by a different standard than it judges itself, but you are not given over to those assessments. No, by the power of the Spirit, you are given to grace in faith to a loving God who has set the example before you in His beloved Son given for you and your salvation. Our God gives us an armor that is meant for the righteous battles for faith, and like any armor it cannot be hidden away unless it is not worn, and that is when the truly devastating wounds pierce us.

Be not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of salvation (Romans 1:16) and let none tell you it is shameful to carry forward into this world, for it is the strength of endurance, and the hope of our love in the wonders of God’s Spirit through us.

Value the words you speak

January 5, 2012 in Character, Love, Witness with 1 Comment

James 5:12

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but [a]your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

 

We speak thousands of words a day, overlooking the weight that they hold. They are not often thought of as powerful or important, although they have great power. Words can be used to hatefully tear people down and blind with lies, or lovingly build people up and ultimately reveal truth.

We are just entering the New Year, and with it come resolutions and promises. Let us think about these promises. Are we really going to follow through? If not, then let us not say them. Jesus says in Matthew 5:33-37 and James reiterates in James 5: 12 to let your yes be yes and your no be no. This solidifies that as Christians we should not make promises we do not intend to keep.

Are we surrendering our words to Jesus? Your words, through Christ, hold power and enlightenment to the mysteries of love, salvation, scripture, and Heaven. Place value on the words you utter because they have the ability to change lives. If you are going to resolve to change something this year, resolve to use your every word to point your life and the lives of others to Jesus.

The gift of our words

January 3, 2012 in Character, relationship, Witness with 1 Comment

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Facebook is an amazing reflection of the relationship between the voice in ones head, and voiced expressions. Statuses update regularly with statements about how old, or young, the cashier at the grocery thought that the writer was, a comment that someone’s boss made, and what someone’s teacher said about their child. Various surface interactions don’t often require our full attention, but at times, they consume our full attention and tend to leave us thinking about the exchange of conversation. Later, we facebook about it:

“I can’t believe I got carded at Publix…”

“My son’s teacher told me that I look tired- I must look terrible today!”

“The Walmart cashier asked me when I was due; the baby is 4 months old!”

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

What we say, although seemingly fleeting, often lasts much longer than we realize. I think that we can all relate to an unwelcome harsh word that sticks with us longer than we would like, or the blessing of an uplifting kind word that sticks with us for days, months or even years.

Words that we speak can give someone the discouragement necessary for them to give up on trusting God for something big.

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

In fact, planting something positive in someone’s life is one of the best ways that you can ever pay it forward. We don’t easily forget the kind things said to us, or on our behalf. The blessing of positive words can be life affirming and can arm a person with confidence and security needed to walk with God, even when it is scary or uncomfortable.

Be Kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle- Plato

Give someone a beautiful gift today by speaking positively into their life. Give somebody something wonderful to facebook about!

The Word of Life

January 2, 2012 in Fellowship, Jesus, Theology, Witness with 0 Comments

The First Letter of John

1 John 1:1-4  

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

The natural response to the joy we receive in Christ is to share it.  How could we, knowing that we have experienced new life in the Son of God, keep that to ourselves?  We should be overflowing with joy, ready to burst if we don’t share it.

John was among the apostles who walked with Jesus while He was here on this earth.  He writes in his first letter to the churches in Asia Minor that he wants them to share in the fellowship he and others have with God through Christ.  He proclaims all he witnessed with his own eyes, all he heard with his own ears, so that the joy of others might be made full.  He’s not willing to keep it all to himself.  What he was sharing was life.

Jesus is the Word of life and He made Himself known to mankind.  John was there when Jesus was present in the flesh, God incarnate sharing life with other people.  John knew that real life is in Jesus and in this he found his joy.  He also knew that his joy would be made all the more complete if he told others about the Word.  Notice his motive explained in verse 4, that “our” joy may be made complete.

Jesus is life.  If you’ve experience new life in Him, share it with everyone around you, so that they will have joy AND so that your joy would be made more complete.  If you haven’t experienced the life-giver, why not seek Him out?  Find out what this life is that others are talking about.  Ask God to reveal Jesus to you and make Him real to you.  He will.

– More next Monday–

What is a disciple?

September 19, 2011 in Bible, Discipleship, Witness with 0 Comments

A disciple

John 8:31-32  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Ask 20 pastors what a disciple is and you’ll get 19 different answers.  If church leaders can’t even decide on what the word means, how can we hope to define it?  As with most biblical truths, we must start with the Bible.  What does it say about a disciple?

It all starts with the Word.  Jesus said to His followers that those who abide in His Word are truly His disciples.  But to be clear, that doesn’t just mean that reading the Bible a lot makes you a disciple.  Nor does it mean that learning a lot about the Bible makes you a disciple.  Abiding in God’s Word means living it.  Each and every move you make in life is grounded in the truth of the Word.  You live according to it.

A disciple is a fully surrendered follower of Jesus Christ who studies the Word, regards it as authority, prays like Jesus, is devoted to fellowship, is spirit filled, serves God, serves others, is a good steward, grows, shares, ministers, and loves.  A disciple should be obvious to anyone, no matter what their beliefs, but a disciple is set apart from the world.

Page 1 of 3123»