By: Chris V One of the ways I LOVE to serve the body of Christ is by sharing the gospel with others! Sharing the gospel is an important part of the Christian life because it allows others to hear about the good news, our hope Jesus Christ. The Bible even commands us to share the gospel in Mark 16:15 (NIV): "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation". How exactly do we proclaim God's Word to the world? One way we can do that is through evangelism, which, according to Dictionary.com, is "The preaching or promulgation of the gospel...". So, how exactly can we evangelize in our day to day lives? Check out these five ideas below: 1. Share The Gospel With a Friend Sharing the gospel with a friend is an incredible way to share your faith (and for them to get to know you!). Now, some of you may be thinking, "Wait Chris! What if my friend doesn't want to be friends anymore once they find out I'm a Christian?" or "What if I'm not popular after this friend tells other people I'm a Christian?" If we were having coffee together right now, I would pull out my Bible and turn to John 15:18-19, which says "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you...but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you". This verse may not sound super encouraging at the moment, but let me ask you a question: is your friend and/or popularity more important than your faith and love for Jesus Christ? Is it worth denying Jesus, your Savior to "fit in" with the people around you? (Check out Peter's story about denying Jesus in Luke 22:54-62.) I don't think fleeting popularity is worth it- do you? 2. Speak Up In Class If you're like me, speaking up in class to share your faith in Christ may be a bit terrifying! Don't worry- God's with you every step of the way! Joshua 1:9 (NIV) tells us "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go". If something said in class goes against what the Bible says, speak up! Share your faith in Christ with your class! One "classic" example of this is when learning about things like evolution and/or the big bang theory in science class. Oftentimes, you hear of students speaking up about their faith and how they believe how the world was created as told in the Bible (Genesis 1-2). I think that there's nothing wrong with that- it brings glory to God! Keep in mind, though, to respect your teacher and other authorities when doing so (Romans 13:1-2). 3. Hand Out Tracts To Others While this idea can be a bit awkward, it is definitely worth it! Sharing the gospel with complete strangers is BY FAR one of my favorite ways to evangelize. One of the number one things I hear from other people is that they have no idea what to say. Don't worry- the Holy Spirit has your back! In Luke 12:11-12 (NIV), we're told "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say". One final thing: safety is key. When sharing the gospel, make sure you're doing so with a group of others. Also, ask your parents before doing this and make sure they are comfortable with you talking to complete strangers. 4. Invite Others To Church And/Or Your Youth Group Taking someone to church/ youth group with you is a great way for them to hear the gospel! That person will also be able to see what it's like in a Christ-centered community, and may be curious to learn more! (Note: Be prepared to answer questions about why you do things like communion, pray, etc.) 5. Follow God's Commands We are told actions speak louder than words- and that can sometimes be true! When you follow and obey God's commands in the Bible, you are glorifying Him and modeling what Christ looks like. When you avoid sinful activities that go against God's Word, people may start wondering what's up and what makes you different from others. (And that's a good thing!) You have incredible opportunities to share your faith with others just by the way you act. It may open doors to share your faith with unbelievers! Pray For Courage Sometimes, evangelism isn't the easiest thing to do- in fact, it can be quite terrifying! Don't listen to that fear! Go to God- He promises to be with you and give you the strength you need (Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 28:7). Be like the believers in Acts 5, where they pray "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness" (Acts 5:29). This week, I want to challenge you to pray for courage to share the gospel with others. Who knows? God may use you to bring someone to Him through Christ!
We'd love to hear from you! What are some other ways you can evangelize to others this week? Tell us in the comments below!
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By: Julianna Driving to church the other night, I found myself mesmerized by passing windows. Intact glass. Buildings that stood undamaged, reflecting the evening sunset. There was something almost creepy about how normal everything looked. Around every corner, I was expecting to see the burned-out remains of an apartment, or shattered glass and disheveled siding of an office building.
Tuesday morning, I logged into my computer to start my communications job for Horizons, an international ministry to Muslims headquartered in Beirut. About an hour in, a coworker messaged the team and asked if any of us had been paying attention to the Middle East staff chat. A few minutes later, my messages starting blowing up with pictures, videos, and long strings of Arabic punctuated by emojis. That morning, 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut’s port, killing 154, injuring over 5,000, and leaving 300,000 Lebanese and Syrian refugees homeless. Over the course of the week, I found myself immersed night and day in the event as our ministry scrambled to put together a relief effort, communicate with donors, and publish the hundreds of pictures, videos, and testimonies coming in from our staff on the ground. Though 6,754 miles away, the explosion felt close to home. These were my brothers and sisters and coworkers in Lebanon, Charbel, Samir, Rezan, Boutros, Patil, people who’s stories I’d read, pictures I’d seen, and a few of whom I’d met over online conference meetings. Now, they found themselves caught amidst shattered glass, rushing a dying brother from hospital to hospital, and getting desperate calls from traumatized children wondering where dad was. They were on the streets, handing out sandwiches to the homeless and wounded, cooking up hot meals, and opening up damaged ministry centers to homeless Muslims. I was on the verge of tears most of yesterday morning as I sorted through photos and a story sent in from a field worker. The blackened buildings, lines of motor bikes with injured weaving their way to the hospital, and helpless victims covered in glass and blood were too close to home … too unexplainable … too heavy. And yet, there was beauty as Christians stand in the gap and bring Christ’s love to lost and hurting people as they have throughout all of history. I still smile as I imagine grandfatherly Samir waltzing into a Beirut bakery, boldly sharing the gospel, and finding himself with 1,000 loaves of free bread to contribute to the sandwich project. I write today not to make a point but to ask a question: “How do we respond when something so tragic happens to brothers and sisters in Christ, and yet life goes on as normal here?” I’m not arguing that I should feel guilty that I’m not there helping to clean up the rubbish. That’s not where God has me. Right now God has me here, in my little country town in Colorado. The people God has sent me to minister to aren’t trapped under buildings and dying from glass injuries. They’re neighbor girls, middle-school church kids, and teenage girls who just as desperately need to know and live out the gospel as Muslims in Beirut. I write today not to make a point but to ask a question: “How do we respond when something so tragic happens to brothers and sisters in Christ, and yet life goes on as normal here?” I’m not arguing that I should feel guilty that I’m not there helping to clean up the rubbish. That’s not where God has me. Right now God has me here, in my little country town in Colorado. The people God has sent me to minister to aren’t trapped under buildings and dying from glass injuries. They’re neighbor girls, middle-school church kids, and teenage girls who just as desperately need to know and live out the gospel as Muslims in Beirut. Yet, the explosion has given me a bigger picture. “Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?” (Amos 3:6). God is doing something so much larger in the global church, larger than a devastating blast, larger than politics infringing on freedoms, larger than my life problems that can seem so big at the time. Even through tragedy, He is at work glorifying Himself. Christ be magnified, Julianna P.S., if you are interested in learning more about the relief work Horizons is putting together, you can read more about it here. It has been amazing to see the global church come together to support relief! This post originally appeared on Julianna's blog, Whole Hearted, at https://juliannawrites.blog/2020/08/08/shattered-glass-stories-and-sandwiches/ By: Chris V One of my favorite missionaries is Amy Carmichael. For fifty-five years, Amy Carmichael served faithfully in India where she rescued sex workers and children from being trafficked in Hindu temples. Amy, even with health problems, served God faithfully till the end of her life, which still impacts the people of India even today. Let's take a look at this amazing woman's life: Amy's Childhood Amy Carmichael was born on December 16th, 1867 in Millisle in Northern Ireland. When she was 15, Amy went to Harrogate Ladies' College in Harrogate, Yorkshire, where she realized she needed to place her faith in Christ. Years later, she wrote: "My mother had often talked to me about the Lord Jesus and, as I sat on her knee, she had sung hymns to me. I had felt the love of the Lord Jesus and nestled in his love just as I had nestled in her arms. But I had not understood that there was something more to do, something that may be called coming to him, or opening the door to him, or giving oneself to him." After singing "Jesus Loves Me", Amy finally realized who Jesus was and what He did on the cross for her, which lead to her trusting in Christ. Afterward, the Carmichael family moved Belfast, Ireland because of financial difficulties. Amy's father died two years later, which resulted in Amy spending the next decade helping her mom take care of and tutor her younger siblings. Called to serve One Sunday, as Amy and her siblings were walking home from church, they stopped to help an elderly beggar woman down a street. As she did this, Amy felt embarrassed to be helping the woman and tried to hide her face in shame. As she walked with the woman, Amy noticed a fountain in the center of the road and heard a voice say "Gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw–the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If the foundation survives, he will receive the reward." Immediately, Amy realized that God was telling her that she may look good and kind on the outside, but her motives for helping the woman were wrong. When she got home, Amy searched her Bible to find the words she had heard as she looked at the fountain: "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward" - 1 Corinthians 3:12-14, KJV. After she read this, Amy promised God that she would only do things to please Him, not others or herself. This wasn't the only promise Amy made to God. While Amy was having tea with her mom in a tea shop, she saw a beggar girl pressing her nose up against the window, watching people eat. This lead to Amy making another promise to God: she would give her money to the poor. God used these two encounters in Amy's life to set her on the track He planned for her life: serving those who were less fortunate. Amy's Ministry Work Amy started off by visiting a slum in Belfast with a local pastor to help hand out tracts and food; this is where she met the "shawlies". Shawlies were local girls who worked at nearby mills for fourteen hours and had very little pay; they got their name because they wore shawls to protect them from the cold. As Amy shared the gospel with them, she noticed they were eager to learn more about what God has done for them. She then started a Bible study at a nearby church for them and brought them to church services. (The shawlies were unfortunately not welcomed by the church's congregation.) As this group of young women grew, Amy was able to purchase a tin building- the "Tin Tabernacle"- with money that was donated in order to do so. The building was called the Welcome Hall and became the new meeting place for the shawlies (and is still there today as the Welcome Evangelical Church). The Carmichael family was facing bankruptcy in 1888, which lead to the family moving to Manchester, England where Amy continued to faithfully work with the poor. Because of the terrible living conditions, Amy became ill and suffered from neuralgia. Even though the cost was detrimental to Amy's heath, she knew that it was way more important to obey God's will for her, saying "Nothing is too precious for Jesus". As her health continued to deteriorate, Amy moved into a Robert Wilson's, who was a family friend, estate for two years. During this time, Amy heard missionary Hudson Taylor speak, which lead her to believe that is was God's will for her life to become a missionary. After praying about it, Amy submitted to God's plan for her to become a missionary. Even though Amy struggled with her health, she was accepted as the first Keswick missionary to the Church Missionary Society (CMS); her first assignment being to go to Japan with three other missionary women. Due to worsening health, doctors told Amy to leave Japan and go back to a more suitable climate, and Amy returned to England after being in Japan for fifteen months. In 1894, Amy was invited to join the Church of England Zenana Mission, where she served in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) for a little while. Afterwards, Amy went to serve in India because the climate was easier on her health. She went to live with a missionary for the CMS named Thomas Walker and his wife, who helped teach her the Tamil language. Before Amy even finished learning the language, she started a group of women she called the Starry Cluster: this was a group of women that were converted to Christianity from Hinduism. This group of women traveled the countryside telling anyone who would listen about Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Some women in the Starry Cluster were trying to seek sanctuary from Hindu temples where they served as prostitutes. One day, Amy met a little girl named Preena, whose widowed mother had sold her into temple slavery and was to become a temple prostitute. Preena had run away from the temple after hearing one of Amy's messages about Christ's love and how it was the same for everyone while she was getting water from a nearby well. Amy didn't send Preena back to the temple because she knew that the girl would be beaten or even killed if she went back. Amy took Preena in even though she knew she could be charged with kidnapping; it was a risk she was willing to take. As she studied the Hindu caste system more closely, Amy learned that Hinduism encouraged temple slavery of children. This resulted in Amy devoting the rest of her life to fighting against child prostitution. As the Starry Cluster grew, more children started to show up on Amy's doorstep as word of her rescue mission in the temples started to spread. In 1901, Amy and the Walkers moved to Dohnavur, India, where Amy founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, which became home to former child prostitutes. Over time, Amy became known as Amma, or mother in Tamil, to the children and community. Amy was also in constant prayer with God about the medical supplies they needed at the center, and in 1912, Queen Mary helped fund a hospital at the Dohnavur Fellowship. Not only that, but in 1918, Amy added a home for boys in the Dohnavur Fellowship, most of who were former temple prostitutes. In the last twenty years of her life, Amy was bedridden after an accident that broke her leg and ankle. Amy continued to direct the Dohnavur Fellowship from her bedroom, passed on the duty of rescuing children, and began to write books and poems about her love for Jesus and her relationship with God. (You can find her books and poems here.) On January 18th, 1951, Amy Carmichael passed away at Dohnavur after serving for fifty-five years in India. Amy's Ministry Impact (She Left A Legacy) Even after Amy passed away, her ministry still continued to impact India, even up to today. The Dohnavur Fellowship still continues to care for kids that are rescued from dangerous and harmful situations; they support around five hundred people. Also, in 2016, Welcome Evangelical Church opened up the Amy Carmichael Center with the intent of keeping Amy's desire to care for the whole person, like Christ does (Proverbs 21:13, John 13:34-35, 1 John 3:17-18). Amy even inspired Jim and Elisabeth Elliot to become missionaries! Years later, Amy Carmichael's faith and trust in His plan for her life continues to impact people around the world. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ " If I am afraid to speak the truth lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand", or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other's highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love." -Amy Carmichael. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REflection Questions
You can find out more about Amy Carmichael by checking out the links below:
By: JuliannaDear girls, I remember being 16 years old and lying awake at night wondering why God didn’t make my desire for romance … guys … marriage an automatic switch that could be turned on when I turned 20, or 25, or whenever it was that I was supposed to get married! But however much I wished those desires would just go away for a while, they still haunted me. I felt perpetually nervous when certain guys were around and either tried to avoid them or tried to get them to notice me. I’m 23 now, still single ☺, and as I muse back about my teenage years, I wish I could have peaked ahead at some of the lessons God had in store. They haven’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t trade the hard times for anything, because they have brought me so much closer to Christ. I’m still on this journey, but here are a few lessons that have been on my heart to share: 1. Attraction to godly young men and the desire for marriage is a good thing … when you wait for God’s timing! During my teen years I often felt guilty and even asked God for forgiveness whenever I thought about a guy. But these desires in and of themselves (as long as we don’t give way to daydreaming or impurity) are not a sin. In fact, they’re God’s normal plan. After all, if guys and girls never liked each other, no one would get married! However, you will never be able to truly enjoy God’s good gift of marriage if you focus on them now. Our teenage years are a beautiful season to serve the Lord … not pine away wishing we were old enough to get married! Imagine the day when God does bring your “prince charming” along. When he gallops up on a white horse (of course ☺), will he find you sitting in the windowsill, complaining that he’s taken so long? Or will you be busy about your heavenly Father’s business, working happily for Him, when one day you look up to see the man God has chosen for you? Then, you’ll be able to look back with joy on your teenage years and rejoice in the fruit that God has brought out of life lived for Him! 2. God has given you those desires as a catalyst to seek Him. Having to wait for God’s timing when all around you girls are getting attention from guys using the world’s ways is hard. It’s hard to wait, to trust, to really believe that God’s plan is best. But right now, you’re only seeing the first part of the story. Those following the world’s way of flattery, promiscuity, and immodest dress might seem to be enjoying themselves right now, but they will someday experience the consequences of their choices because ultimately, relationships won’t satisfy. Only Jesus satisfies. I was in my teens when I first read this quote from C.S. Lewis, and it’s come to shape much of my thinking: “If I find in myself a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world.” No man — no matter how handsome, rich, godly, romantic, or funny — can ever satisfy you. Only Jesus Christ can. When the waiting gets tough, lean hard into Him. He is your Heavenly Bridegroom that is alone worthy of all your love!" -C.S. Lewis. I still have this quote from the great puritan Samuel Rutherford on the backscreen of my computer: “Lay no more on the creatures than they are able to carry; lay your soul and your weights upon God; make him your only, only best Beloved. Your errand to this life is to make sure an eternity of glory to your soul, and to match your soul with Christ; your love, if it were more than all the love of angels in one, is Christ’s due.” Rutherford’s reminder that the entire purpose of our existence in this life is to prepare for an eternity of loving God is immensely practical. When I have my eyes on eternity, it’s so much easier to not buy the lie that a relationship will satisfy." -Samuel Rutherford. 3. Nurturing a heart for women is the most important thing you can do in this season. My mom reminds my sisters and I of this a lot, and it’s so true! You will spend the rest of your life (both before marriage and after) investing in women. If you can find younger girls to invest in now and older women to invest in you, the Lord will use that desire for much fruitfulness in His Kingdom. 4. Communicate with your parents. I know it’s a hard subject to talk about. But communication will only get more complex as you enter adulthood. So now is the time to learn! Your willingness to broach a subject with your parents is the key way to gauge the state of your heart. If you’re tempted to hide something from them, it’s a good indication your heart is not in a good place — with both them and the Lord. Plus, getting both temptations and even good desires out into the open will help sin not fester in the dark. God gives us freedom through walking in the light! Some good questions to start a conversation like this might be: “Dad, what traits do you think are important for me to develop before I get married?” Or “Do you mind if I share something with you? I’m struggling about thinking about a certain guy. Can you pray I’d keep my eyes on Jesus right now?” Or “Mom, what things helped you growing up relate to guys in a healthy way?” Even if your parents were not believers when they were young (or at all), they will still have wisdom to share from their experiences. You might also consider asking these questions to an older woman in your church whom you trust. 5. What is your goal in life? I laugh now at the conundrum I had when I was attempting to write a life goal as a teenager. For a few months my goal was to have family (which isn’t a bad desire) and then I crossed that out and made my goal to know God and serve Him. I went back and forth crossing one goal out and choosing the other only to change my mind again! My problem was that both were good goals, but they’re not on the same level! God has created me to know Him as deeply as possible for a redeemed sinner and spend all my life and energy serving Him. That’s a goal that can be met, by the grace of God, whether single or married, children or no children. Lord willing, someday raising a family will be part of that larger life purpose, but it’s not an end in itself and I can still fulfill my purpose without it. Seek the Lord first! He will add the “all things” He has promised — including marriage if that’s His will! 6. Truly love your brothers in Christ. It’s so easy to become attracted to a guy and make it your goal to get his attention. You might think you love him, but it’s not true love if you’re only seeking something for yourself. God’s love will desire the best for your brothers in Christ, even if it’s a relationship with someone else. True love will wait so as not to defraud them until God’s timing. True love will treat them with respect but not allow any premature relationships to get in the way of either of your walks with the Lord. And true love will respect them as men, even when they’re still in the maturing process (just like we all are). As you learn this kind of Christ-like love, you will be so much better equipped to love the husband God sends you! Lean on Christ These are still difficult lessons that I have to cry out to the Lord to give me His perspective on every day. The path of following Christ in this area is a narrow and often lonely road, but it is so worth it to know Christ better! May each desire and struggle drive you to Christ, depending on Him for the strength to do what we cannot do in and of ourselves. He is a faithful Father, and He loves us so much more than we can imagine!
-Julianna This post originally appeared on Julianna's blog, Whole Hearted, at https://juliannawrites.blog/2020/07/31/whatever-am-i-supposed-to-do-with-guys/. |
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