Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all the best and a Merry Christmas.

May you receive all that God has in store for you in 2010.

Grace and peace,

Jeff

.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

I asked God

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It’s not for me to take away, but for you to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own!  But I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as he loves me.
God said…Ahhhh, finally you have the idea!


Author Unknown 
.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Get your plan ready for 2010!

With the new year approaching and the inevitable "New Years Resolutions" pending, I'd like you to consider reading the Bible in it's entirety in 2010 if you haven't done so.  Click on the link below for a great printable plan that will fold nicely and store in the cover of your Bible.


One of the most enriching tasks a Christian can take on is to read God's Word completely.   One of the biggest hurdles to doing so for most, is the question of where to start and how much to read every day.  A good plan that you can keep with you is imperative to making good progress towards this goal.  The link is only good through Sunday December 27, 2009 so hurry up!

Grace and peace,

Jeff
.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

It's a Spirit thing



I was interviewed recently and as happens frequently, I was asked about how long I’ve been sober.  I have a patented response for that question and with little or no thought those dates rolled off my lips.  That date is equally impressive and unimpressive at the same time.  Impressive in that it is quite an achievement to refrain from the use of any substance or behavior that is destructive to ones life for any period, but stopping a behavior doesn’t really signify a change.   I’ve thought a lot about the timeframe of my sobriety and while I’m proud of the accomplishment and the date associated with it, it really only tells part of the story.

I believe that growth as a Christian and the accompanying walk with Christ is progressive.   I also believe that we individually are the only roadblock to living a life that God wants for us.  The full life in Christ we have available to us won’t happen overnight and like anything else in life of value, we must work for it.



PHASE 1

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.

Romans 10:9 NLT

I believe the Bible is the inerrant and perfect Word of God.  As I make that claim I can say that I completed Phase 1 of Christian living a long time ago.  Heaven I believe will be filled with a lot of people that stopped right there.  So many reach the point in life that they accept Christ and believe in their hearts that he was raised from the dead but never bother to take the steps that follow.  The Bible says this is all that’s required for salvation and I believe the vast majority of our neighbors in heaven will have stopped at phase 1 never fully realizing the joy of the life God wanted for them in this world.  This a lot like waiting in line to buy tickets to a movie then getting drinks, popcorn and candy and the going back to your car and driving home.



PHASE 2

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

Upon accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is that little voice in the back of our head that tells us when things are right and good but more importantly convicts us of our sin, encouraging us to live a life pleasing to God.  The King James Version uses the phase “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”.  Old things are “passed” and new things “become” give indication that this is a process, not an instant transformation.   Christian life is not a destination, it’s a journey and how we fare on the trip is a choice for us to make.   As we acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and allow the changes He will make to happen, a small glimpse of the life God wants for us start to come into focus.

Phase 2 is a great place to be.  A life lived after giving Christ an invitation into it can be fulfilling and have much joy. 
But there is more… 

So much more…



“Life’s best is stored behind a door, it’s threshold crossed only by faith”.

Chris Coppernoll



PHASE 3

Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. 


Romans 12:1-2 CEV

Christ wants to be invited into your life but that’s just a starting point.  God doesn’t just want to be invited to the party; He wants to be the host!  Faith in God is not a sometimes thing, its an all the time thing.  We are to become a living sacrifice to God’s will and to live for His pleasure, not our own.  The step across the threshold to life’s best isn’t a difficult one to make but it is impossible to make on your own.

Phase 3 can only be achieved when the Holy Spirit goes beyond concept and idea and become reality, the living 3rd person of the Trinity. 
The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:17 NKJV

To fully engaged The Holy Spirit, to fully know Christ and to ultimately please God you must look beyond the borders of this world and enter the spiritual one.  Too often people think that the idea of entering the spiritual realm is something only “those weirdo’s do” when the truth is that those who truly engage the Spirit are some of the most practical folks I’ve ever met.  Paul expands on this thought in his letter to Timothy when discussing the gift of the Holy Spirit

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

Let God orchestrate your life by allowing the Holy Spirit the freedom to show you God’s power and love.
Grace and peace,

Jeff



Sunday, December 13, 2009

Put Christ back in the classroom

This is awesome, please share with others!


Thursday, December 3, 2009

Where do you get your strength?



I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13 KJV


That was one of the first pieces of scripture I committed to memory after I was saved. As a freshly minted Christian I used that verse often as a prayer through difficult times. Whenever the heat in life got turned up a bit I would find myself repeating those words over and over in my mind. I took comfort in those words often and after time I became a little more “spiritually mature”, a deeper prayer life began and new verses took my attention and developed meaning for me. It wasn’t until I went through some trials and found my way back up, out a valley or two before I really took grasp of the meaning of this scripture.


It’s effortless to cry out for help in troubled times, and just as easy to forget where help came from when things turn around. The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years and had no choice but to place their faith in God during that time. God provided their food daily in the form of manna and they followed a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, trusting their direction to the Lord. And just as they were on the border of the Promised Land, able to see the “land of milk and honey”, God issued a warning...


“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them”.
Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV


God knew that it would be easy for the Israelites to forget how difficult things had been given the relative luxury they would soon have. In an act of supernatural wisdom He gave them the advice, don’t forget where you came from and make sure your children know how tough it was. But history and the Bible both show us that they did indeed forget to honor God, lost everything but eventually turned to Him again. More than once.


And that brings me back to Philippians 4:13, which when taken into the proper context, closely resembles the advice given in Deuteronomy. Paul didn’t offer the exhortation of strength in Christ as a plea for strength it was a definitive statement. In J. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible Commentary Vol. V, he states the following:


“When Paul says all things, does he literally mean all things? Does it mean you can go outside and jump over your house? Of course not. Paul says, “I can do all things in Christ”—that is, in the context of the will of Christ for your life. Whatever Christ has for you to do, He will supply the power. Whatever gift He gives you, He will give the power to exercise that gift. A gift is a manifestation of the Spirit of God in the life of the believer. As long as you function in Christ, you will have power...Now Paul is not saying that we can do all things. I can’t jump like a grasshopper can jump. When I was in school I was the high jumper, but I can’t jump anymore. You see, I can’t do all things, but I can do all things which God has for me to do from the time He saved me to the time He will take me out of this world." (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Nashville: Thomas Nelson)


While the verse sounds and looks good on a James Avery bracelet, Philippians 4:13 is a statement of fact we should strive to make ourselves, after rejoicing in Christ through all the seasons of our life. If you find yourself struggling to find the strength you need in Christ, may I suggest the following?


Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. 

Romans 12:1-2 CEV


Living the Christian life isn’t easy; it’s impossible in our own power. Seek God in a way to secure the fact of Philippians 4:13 in your life!


Be blessed today,


Jeff 






Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving



Like many of you with kids this time of year we get to see some interesting “craft projects” that come home from school. I’ve seen turkeys made from plastic spoons, paper plates and of course the one made from a tracing of a small child’s hand. At my sons school recently I saw artwork hanging in the halls with Pilgrims, Indians, baskets, tee pees and cabins. There were an abundant number of “horns o’ plenty”, numerous unknown masterpieces made of fall colored construction paper and of course, more turkeys than you could count. What was noticeably absent from any of the objet d’art was a cross? Interesting considering the ENTIRE reason the Pilgrims made their journey.  


Our society has become so concerned with offending, that anything relating to Christianity, one of the core and basic reason this Country was founded, has been quietly swept aside and covered in brown, orange and red construction paper. Interesting when current talk in education is the introduction of Islamic studies to fight the negative press this group receives. Our Country has become a place of tolerance and acceptance of everything except Christianity. At the Elementary School I attended the 10 Commandments were printed on the wall at the main entrance, wonder how many coats of paint cover them now?


If you are a parent please make sure your children know:

The Pilgrims left England seeking opportunity and religious freedom. In England they were forced to 
meet privately, and in hiding. Their primary reason for coming to America was to have the freedom to 
practice their Christian beliefs, openly and without censure or persecution.
          
The Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts held the original thanksgiving celebration during their second 
winter in America in December 1621. The first winter had killed 44 of the original 102 colonists. At one 
point their daily food ration was down to five kernels of corn apiece, but then an unexpected trading 
vessel arrived, swapping them beaver pelts for corn, providing for their severe need. The next summer’s 
crop brought hope, and Governor William Bradford decreed that December 13, 1621, be set aside as a 
day of feasting and prayer to show the gratitude of the colonists that they were still alive.


Thanksgiving in America has historically been celebrated as a day to give thanks to God for His gracious 
and sufficient provision. President Abraham Lincoln officially set aside the last Thursday of November, 


in 1863, “as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” That quote, word for word is 
recorded in the Congressional minutes.          


In 1941, Congress ruled that after 1941, the fourth Thursday of November be observed as Thanksgiving 
Day and be a legal holiday.


Regardless of what children may learn in school, the Pilgrims came to American soil to have the right to express their religious beliefs freely and openly.


Giving thanks to the Lord is one of the basic tenants of Christianity and the Bible has stories and examples of this from Genesis to Revelations. And while the simple historical facts about Thanksgiving need to be shared with our children, it’s a good day to impart a few scriptures to them as well. I kind of like the following:


Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – NLT

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 – NIV

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.
1 Timothy 2:1 – NIV

 
As Christians we have so much to be thankful for, top that list with Jesus dying for our sin. We could sit back and complain about the current state of society but what good would it do? Like the Pilgrims we have a choice to make, wallow in circumstance or give thanks to the Lord? Today has become more about being festive and full as opposed to humble and thankful. My prayer today will be that the Lord finds us all, His grateful children.




Peace and grace,
Jeff

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Sometimes the obvious is too obvious...




So I have a Saturday with no kids or work for the first time in what seems like forever.  I woke up at 7:45, looked at the clock, rolled over and fell back asleep.  Sweet! 10:15, I decide to get up, grab a book and head to Starbuck’s.  Perfect!  (OK just between us, the book was a Commentary on Philippians, further validation that my life is off the hook excitement!)  Great early fall day on the patio, drinking a fancy cup of something with a name I don’t recall, but a price tag I do; I decide the only thing that could make the day better – my Harley.


Nothing can beat a nice brisk day on the bike.  Suited up for the chill in the air I head out on the road with no destination, just a journey in mind.  I’m getting relaxed, feeling at one with the machine and starting to decompress.  Some of my best thinking has come on my bike and I can feel the juices start to bubble.  But about this time something doesn’t feel right?  A little hesitation and the bike backfires, I feel a loss of power and a little hesitation in the throttle.  I stop at a light and the motor dies.  I try and start it again but it won’t turn over.  On the side of the road I break out a small tool kit and spend the next 45 minutes going through the bike but can’t figure out what’s wrong.  Frustrated I call the local Harley Dealership and schedule a “pick up” to have my bike put on a trailer and taken to the shop.  About the time a friend is dropping me off at home, my cell phone rings.  It’s the guy from the Service Department, “Mr. Boyce, we found your problem.  You ran out of gas”. 


You can image how dumb I felt about now.  I had looked into every possible reason the bike had died except the obvious.  No gas.  Now before anyone starts to laugh too hard, grab a mirror.  Because you may not have run out of gas recently, but we’re all guilty of taking our problems everywhere else but the obvious at times.


Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19 KJV


No place in the Bible will you find a scripture to reference hardship ending once you turn your life over to Christ.  I can however point out many that mention the suffering and trials we will face.  The Bible tells us we will have problems and face hardships but God will provide us way through them.  Doesn’t it make sense to give Him the first shot?  Right about now I need to borrow that mirror I asked you get out because I don’t always do this either. 


We all will face difficulties in life but I’ve noticed is that some people seem to suffer a lot more than others.  I don’t know why this is the case but I know that suffering doesn’t come from God, but more often, a lack of God.  Because when we don’t turn first to God, turning to anything or anyone else shows we lack the faith He needs operate in.  While some suffer more than others, and maybe even bring it on themselves, the answer is the same.


Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV


Psalms and Proverbs quoted in the King James Version, it doesn’t get more “Old School” than that.  “Old School” can have a lot of different meanings but the term usually precedes something that is more basic or simple than its modern day counter part.  I have a lot of different translations of the Bible but sometimes it’s hard to beat the good ole’ KJV.  Many times it can be difficult to understand but with these two passages, the formality of the wording helps to emphasize its simplicity. 


1.      Trust God completely.
2.      Don’t try and figure it out on our own.
3.      Recognize Him in every part of our lives.
4.      Give Him thanks for what we have.
5.      Seek a path in life He would approve.
6.      When we do encounter hardship, see 1-5.


Pretty simple concepts that are easy to follow, but we usually don’t. 


I know two things for sure:  First, I will fail to follow this advice more times than I can count throughout my life, but God will be there for me when I finally do look to Him.  Second, the next time my motorcycle stops running I’m looking in the gas tank first.  Some lessons are easier to learn than others.




Grace and peace,


Jeff




Friday, November 20, 2009

Interview with God


Find a quiet place,  you need sound.  






Have a God filled weekend!

Jeff

Monday, November 16, 2009

It's all about the view...





I’m working on getting my 7 year old son to enjoy watching College football as much as I do on Saturday’s. I’ve had to make a little deal with him in the process, 10 minutes of cartoons for 5 minutes of football. Always the negotiator I included the provision that I pick the cartoon making this really a win-win situation for me.

This past weekend it seemed every time we flipped back to the game, the Quarterback was on the phone. Dylan caught on to this and asked me who that guy was talking to all the time. I explained the Coaches box is higher than all the other seats and since they can see the whole field, they can see things the Quarterback can’t see from ground level. From where the Coach sat he could see where the mistakes were being made and tell the Quarterback what he was doing wrong or what to try differently and he could do that because he could see the whole field. He smiled, shook his head like he finally got it and said, “Yeah, kinda like God”. Dylan makes me laugh a lot but times like this he makes me think.

While trying to explain the use of a phone during a football game, my son gave me a great description of God’s Providence. We all quarterback our lives and the world is our playing field. A lot of times we seem to be throwing perfect passes with the proverbial crowd cheering us on. But other times everything is off. When we get the ball we drop it or worse yet, throw an interception. Thankfully when this happens in the life of a believer, we don’t have to look for a phone or call a Coach for help. We are sealed in the Holy Spirit and with His help, indentify the issue or behavior that has us “out of sorts” and through Christ we have access to God through prayer. Fortunately things usually have a way of resolving themselves in this process.

But what about when you keep fumbling the ball and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to complete a pass? God seems to be silent and your prayers don’t appear to be effective at all. Just like the Coach in the press box could see things the Quarterback couldn’t, God’s vantage point is a little better than ours. Faith is based on our trusting in the Lord and knowing that He has our back regardless of the circumstance. God never ignores us; He just has a better seat than we do and see’s things differently. When we feel that our Faith is being tested the Apostle Paul gave us direction on how to respond,

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Philippians 1:27-30 (NIV)

Paul was in a Roman prison at the time and referencing the fact that he faced execution or may be freed, either way he wouldn’t stop preaching the Gospel and Glorifying the Lord. Death or freedom didn’t matter because Paul put his trust in Christ completely and whatever happened was by the will of God.

Paul’s Faith that God was in control of all things couldn’t be argued by anyone. Time after time when put to the test Paul’s faith remained firm because for him anything else wasn’t an option. Being in Christ was a lifestyle for Paul and the “challenge” he issues in this passage of scripture is for us too. Paul could easily have become discouraged due to his circumstance but used his time in prison to God’s glory, showing that his faith could stand up to anything the world could throw at him.

The only faith worth anything is faith that’s been tested and faith gets tested by fire for the most part. How fortunate for us that Paul did remain faithful and the results of his standing firm are the majority of the New Testament. It’s tough to do at times but remember God has a better seat than we do and ultimately our best interest in mind…….

Grace and peace
Jeff

 
                  Dylan Boyce

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Still waiting on God?




I taught recently about determining the blessings we have in our lives and more importantly, defining what a blessing was.  How our tendency is to look to God for help and supernatural answers to the difficulties we face on a daily basis, usually as a last resort.  So often what we see as blessings are only things that we can assign a value to or those that have a tangible benefit to us right now.   This view essentially relates God to a vending machine that we insert request into and expect a blessing to be dispensed.  And we’re shocked while stand there and nothing pops out maybe even contemplate kicking the machine for good measure.  And the idea of waiting on God, trusting in His timeframe just doesn’t seem possible.  We want to be blessed; we just want it right now.

And while we’re busy questioning why things aren’t happening the way we want, we don’t give Him the credit for the things we already have.  If we only take a step back and look closely, God’s fingerprints are on everything around us:

A comfortable place to call home, a job that covers the bills maybe a little money in the bank; how’d that happen?  Jehova-jireh, the Lord will provide.

When you spend time with good friends or an afternoon with your kids and hearing them say, “Thanks Dad, I love you”.   Jehovah-shammad, the Lord is present.

Quiet time in the morning, a comfortable chair and your Bible.  You find that passage or verse that guides you in the right direction. Jehovah-ra-ah, the Lord my shepherd.

God is so prevalent in our lives everyday and in so many ways.  He reveals Himself to us in even the smallest details but we aren’t looking there, we are too busy tapping our foot, arms crossed and impatiently waiting for the big blessing to pop out of the machine.

If God doesn’t seem to be doing anything in your life, maybe he’s waiting for you to realize what He‘s already done first.  If we can’t identify and thank God for the small, simple blessings he gives us on a daily basis why would He think we were ready for the big one?  I have a quote I wrote in my Bible and I think it makes a lot of sense.

Start to give thanks for the things you have and it won’t be long before you have what you want and want what you have.

Start looking at what God does for you everyday and when you find these little things, acknowledge Him and say thanks.  No telling what He may be waiting to do for you…

Peace

Jeff



Thursday, November 5, 2009

Where does Jesus stand in your life?



A while back I felt the need to create for myself a Christian litmus test.  I wanted to be able to gauge my faith and walk with Christ by a different standard, something that would show without error the strengths and weaknesses in my Faith.  I looked at several different methods but settled on three rather simple criteria:

If you ask the Members of my Church to describe me, what would the top 5 responses be?

If you were to ask people who know me outside the Church how they would describe me, what would the top 5 responses be?

Now go one step further and ask the people I work with to describe me, what would their top 5 response be?

If I take these 3 lists and compared them side-by-side would they be very similar or would they be completely different?  Would faith in God and or that I’m a Christian be mentioned by those outside of the Church, making an entry somewhere in the top 5?  My goal was to make sure it would be and hopefully very high on the list.  As a new Christian I was always hearing people talk about Christians being hypocrites.  I didn’t want to be a hypocrite and if these 3 lists were very comparable, I didn’t see how anyone could say that.  One of the greatest gifts I was given was a new me.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17

I like the new me and I don’t really care for the old one.  I’m proud of my Faith and want to be known as a Christian.  So much so that I feel confident in my assessment and that it would make the top 5 descriptions about me on all 3 list.  I hope that one day that fact being #1 wont be in question.

I hold no one to this light other than myself, but it is very important to me and I check myself against this scale often.  It’s very important to me that people see me the same on Thursday afternoon as those that do on Sunday morning.  I feel that if the people I work with or those that know me outside of Church aren’t aware of my Faith and the value I place on it, I have denied Christ.

We all have different things that we find important in life.  But whatever they are and whatever values we hold need to be adhered to and we need the ability to measure them.  Without an individual “code” to live by we will just slide around in life.  The fact we are Christians and more importantly that we have a strong faith in Christ should be evident to everyone who spends any amount of extended time with us.  My greatest desire in life is that the code or measure I have for myself will be the one my children adopt for themselves in their lives. I can promise you they are aware of it and I know where my faith stands should they be asked to make this list about me.

How are the people you encounter today going to view you?  At work or around others today think about this and what traits they would note about you?  We talk about Faith as a walk with Christ so He’s right there with you.  Would He be proud of this list or would you be ashamed to share it with Him?


Grace and Peace


Jeff


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Are you burdened?



If I were to give you a never-ending supply of a magical elixir and tell you it would instantly cure cancer in children, what would you do?  Given this gift, most would immediately find the nearest hospital and start giving out generous spoon full’s.  After that ward was cured there would be an insatiable fire to find another hospital and group of children to save.

Now let’s throw a curve ball into the mix.  This elixir looks like sewage, smells horrible and appears to have chunks of rotten food floating in it.  But given its appearance and smell, there is a pleasant surprise; its taste is amazingly sweet.  Now remember, you have absolute certainty that this will work with a 100% cure rate, but your not a Doctor and have no medical training.  Do you think you could convince a dying child to take a spoon full?  Not only could you, given a little time I am confident you would become very good at it.

It doesn’t take a genius to see the comparison I’m making here.  

Why is it that the thought of curing cancer in children stirs up noble ideas and confidence but sharing our Christian faith often brings those of doubt or inadequacy and for many - fear?   I believe it starts with a lack of practice.  Sharing our faith is like any other endeavor we take on in that you won’t become adept at it without first making an attempt.  Like Nike say’s “Just do it”.  You can’t always be successful but truth be told, there are no failures in sharing faith, only seeds to be planted.  We have been given a gift infinitely greater than a fictional potion to cure cancer.  The gift we have been given is eternal life and the power to extend it to others, as well as the obligation to do so.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20

Look at this passage closely, it’s not a request it’s a command and Matthew felt it so powerful he ended his gospel with it and the very words of Christ including, “I am with you always” letting us know that were aren’t alone when talk to others about Him.  Given what we know about Jesus, Him being God and all, I don’t see Him putting forth this command unless we all had the ability to be somewhat effective at doing so.  You don’t need to be a Biblical Scholar or have 1000 scriptures committed to memory to talk about why your life is different now that you have asked Christ into it. 

The great 19th century Author and Evangelist, Charles Spurgeon had the following to say about sharing the Gospel:

“The way to do a great deal, is to keep on doing a little. The way to do nothing at all, is to be continually resolving that you will do everything.”

Christ had a tremendous burden for us, so much so that he made the ultimate sacrifice out of a perfect love only He was capable of.  The burden given us, to simply tell others about Him, is pretty light in comparison.  Stop thinking about it and why you can’t and take a small step.  Someone you know wants to hear from you about this, you might even know who it is.  If you don’t, ask God to reveal them to you and tell them about what Jesus has done for you.  I can’t make many 100% guarantees outside of this; it will make your day and possibly someone’s life…

Grace and peace

Jeff