Unexpected or Reluctant Seed Planters from the Bible (5)

I’m going to stay in the Old Testament for a couple more examples before jumping into the New Testament. There are just so many gems to uncover there. The examples I'm giving are just one small slice of the pie. Let's face it – do a popularity contest between the Old and New Testament and the New wins every time. Sure, you've got the Creation story, and the biggies like Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and David but for the most part, the Old Testament (not including Psalms, of course) is tough reading. Growing up as a Christian, I tended to stay in the New Testament. But once I really discovered the Old Testament, and read about all the many different servants of God following steadfast to His will, a new door of understanding opened to me. All the so-called minor roles, like Eliezer, fill up the Old Testament, and what a powerful message God gives us through their story. We can serve God in small ways and big ways, but all ways are important. Don't let the Old Testament go under your radar for Bible study, and don't just stick with the big stories. Dig deeper and find the gems. You'll find a whole treasure full of them once you do.

Never Stop Planting Seeds
Be sure to stay busy and plant a variety of crops, for you never know which will grow—perhaps they all will. Ecclesiates 11:6

Rahab the Prostitute (Joshua 2)
When the Israelites were finally ready to enter the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, they found it already occupied so Joshua sent a couple of spies ahead to scope out the area around Jericho. So they go and end up staying that night at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.

Hey now! Huh?

Okay, don't get any ideas here. Remember that God uses all types of people in His service and only He knows what is in their heart. Society can be quick to judge by appearances or even past deeds but God calls everyone to forgiveness and His door is always open to all who hear His call no matter what their past or how insignificant the world may view them. In this case, perhaps God knew that Rahab was open to Him, maybe even looking to start over and change her ways.
So the rest of story goes that the King of Jericho caught the wind that these spies may be hanging out with Rahab, and at great risk to her life, she covers for these strangers and helps them get away, thereby saving their lives so they can go back later and report to Joshua.

Why would Rahab, both a pagan and Canaanite (yes, and a prostitute) be interested in God? She recognized Him as the true and only God. Her heart was open to listening. Sometimes that is all it takes – be willing to listen (and obey). Rahab may have never done another brave act like that again, but her faith saved her and her family, literally.

Rehab planted one seed that day by her actions and by putting her trust in a God she new little about, except that He is the one and only true God.

Every seed counts.

Jonah – A Whale of a Tale
Here's the story of the reluctant, ornery prophet and it's a story you may know well all ready. How God called Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and tell the people that in forty days their city would be destroyed, but Jonah had other plans in mind. You have to admit, the guy has guts saying no to God because basically, he was prejudiced against the non-Jews. Why did Jonah really turn tail and run? Maybe out of anger about not wanting to share his God with anyone else, or maybe he was a bit afraid. How often have we not heeded God’s will for us because of fear, stubbornness, laziness, or any of a hundred reasons?

So you know the rest of the story - Jonah sails away in the opposite direction of Nineveh, the storm comes, overboard he goes, gets swallowed by a big fish then regurgitated later on shore, where he gives in and does his job. And then, get this, when the people actually listen to him and repent of their sins, Jonah gets mad at God for showing His immense kindness and unfailing love when He doesn't destroy the city. Jonah is all embarrassed that nothing he predicted was going to happen. What a crotchety old dude, huh? Instead, just like He did with the people of Nineveh, God teaches him a gentle lesson about showing kindness to those who are truly repentant.

Those Reluctant Prophets –
Don’t Worry, God says, I Will Always Help You
"O Sovereign Lord," I [Jeremiah] said, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!" "Don’t say that," the Lord replied, "or you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!" Jeremiah 1:6-8

Sometimes we all need a good boot in the butt by God to get us going. When we are reluctant seed planters - because of fear, distractions, or any other excuse - God moves to move us. I welcome those times. I welcome God acting directly in my life - hopefully it's not because I'm not doing His will like Jonah in the beginning. I know those times are going to happen though since I'm a sinner and I'm glad God cares about me enough to send those gentle motivators every now and then.

Has God sent you a whale of your own to turn you around?

How did you respond?

Seed Planters from the Bible (4)

This next blog provides several examples of seed planters in part to inspire you as well as to give you an idea of how to get started or what area to focus on as a seed planter. Maybe you’ll see an example from a person in God's Word that will make you think, "Yeah, I like to do that" or "I'm good at that. I’d love to use that talent of mine as a way to share my faith with others."

We'll look at seed planters from the past and we'll also look at people who might not even believe in Jesus but God used them as unknowing seed planters. So let's get started and see some examples in God's Holy Word. Why not go straight to the source, right? It's all in there. Come on, let's jump in.

Be like Sweet Perfume to the World
But thanks be to God, who made us His captives and leads us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume.
2 Corinthians 2:14

Oldies but Goldies
The Old Testament contains a field-full of seed planters. Reluctant prophets, support people, skilled craftsman are but a few examples of the kind of people God used to spread the word and do His will back in the day. How were they seed planters? By how they lived their life; by how they used their gifts (time, treasures, talents) in service to Him; by how they never lost faith even in the most trying of times. Through the actions of their lives and choices they made to serve God they planted seeds. They gave an example for all time for us to emulate as the stories were recorded by God within His Word for all of us to read and absorb.

We'll start with some of the seemingly forgotten individuals of the Bible and save the big guns like Joseph and David till later in another blog. Everyone is important to God and all have a purpose in serving God, whether the task be little or great. Even back in the Old Testament, God worked through His seed planters – down to the tiniest little mustard seed of a planter.

The Support Team
Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5-7)
Mel who? No, not Mel Torme, though he has a nice singing voice. And not Mel Passion Gibson. Melchizedek was a king in the Old Testament during Abraham's time. Melchizedek was a God-fearing man whose name meant King of Righteousness. He was the king of Salem (the site of the future Jerusalem) and the Bible says he was a priest of God Most High. What's interesting to note is that Melchizedek worshipped the same God as Abraham but was not Jewish. The Jews, as God's chosen people, kind of had God’s ear back then. God talked directly to Abraham, wrestled with Jacob, and was pretty hands-on with Moses. But here is this guy, on the outside, you might say, who had not even met Abraham before, who wears his belief on his sleeve because the first thing he does is offer Abram (his name before God changed his name to Abraham. God seems to love changing people’s names in the Old Testament, don’t you think? It’s basically like a baptism, as God bestows on them a new quest to serve Him along with the new name) a blessing:

"Blessed be Abram by God most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has helped you conquer your enemies." (Genesis 14:19-20)

Not much is really known about Melchizedek, but that's okay. What we do know is that his love for God reflected directly through his character. God speaks through many different people. And He will speak through you if you let Him – either in your words or your deeds (or both). And God will speak to you, too, through other people. God wants you to know Him as much as He wants you to tell others about Him.

Eliezer (Genesis 24)
Sometimes we are seed planters when we simply do our job; when we honor our responsibilities, are trustworthy and reliable, and above all, put our steadfast trust in God. Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, was one such person. He was tasked with going out to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac. Not only that, he had to figure out a way to keep him from marrying one of those hot Canaanite women.

Pretty big task, huh? I can imagine Abraham speaking to Eliezer: "Ahh, hey Eliezer, I’m too old to go off and find a wife for my son so you do it. And hurry up before one of those floozy Canaanite women get their mitts on him. Just go to my homeland and find someone. That way. And thanks."

"Surrrrre, Abraham, no problem. Just go that way, huh? Yeah, sure, I’ll get right on that. Not!" That might have been my answer but I sure hope not.

But it wasn't Eliezer's answer. Eliezer did trust, did have faith. Abraham said an angel would help direct him. Eliezer prayed for guidance. He didn't rush things but let God direct him and followed through completely. He brought Rebekah home to Isaac. Eliezer fulfilled his role as God intended – as a true servant. That was talent, serving. He did his task without hesitation (Just do it). Imagine if he hadn’t. If he had gotten scared or lazy or lost faith and just wandered off and never came back to Abraham. That would mean Jacob (renamed Israel – there's that name thing again) would never have been born – and all his sons (the tribe of Israel) never would have been born. Most importantly, the genealogy leading to the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, would have been broken!

All because a simple servant named Eliezer did his job. And did it faithfully. He may have only planted one seed, we don't know. But the seed he planted as recorded in the Bible was a pretty big one, don't you think?

Moses' Craftsmen – Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 31:1-11)
Do you have a talent that involves being artistic? Are you skilled in creating crafts of all kinds? Look how God gave these talents to those in the Old Testament to serve His glory and think about what message you could put into the arts and crafts that you create:

Using Your Talents: Someone Has to Make the Tassels
And the Lord said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel: ‘Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach the tassels at each corner with a blue cord. The tassels will remind you of the commands of the Lord, and that you are to obey his commands instead of following your own desires and going your own ways, as you are prone to do.'"
Numbers 15:37-39

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Look, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence, and skill in all kinds of crafts. He is able to create beautiful objects from gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in cutting and setting gemstones and in carving wood. Yes, he is a master at every craft!

"And I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the naturally talented craftsmen so they can make all the things I have instructed you to make: the Tabernacle itself; the Ark of the Covenant; the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement; all the furnishings of the Tabernacle; the table and all its utensils; the gold lampstand with all its accessories; the incense altar; the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; the washbasin and its pedestal; the beautifully stitched, holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests; the anointing oil; and the special incense for the Holy Place. They must follow exactly all the instructions I have given you.'"

Whoa, what an endorsement, huh? "Yes, he is a master at every craft!" So maybe you can't preach like Paul, but if you like to draw, or sew, paint, do craftwork – start planting those seeds in your work and when someone asks you what that symbol of the cross means in your work, then God is watering that seed.

Aaron (Exodus – Deuteronomy 10:6)
Now Aaron wasn't perfect by any means. We all saw the movie The Ten Commandments and watched John Carradine as Aaron wimp out and give into the people's demands to make the golden calf. But he repented and God accepted his repentance and Aaron went on to become the first high priest of God in Israel! God used the special abilities He gave to Aaron for his purpose, and Aaron came through. He served God with his skills.

Aaron was a good communicator. When Moses got a little tongue tied trying to talk the Pharaoh into letting the children of Israel go, Aaron was always there to step in and articulate. He was part of the team God put together and he knew his place. Moses was the leader, Aaron never tried to take over even though he was the better communicator. And Moses' strength as a leader helped Aaron, too, who, as we see when Moses goes away for just a little while, is easily swayed by the will of the people.

Aaron was a key support person. He served God, faults and all, and became an example to all of Israel in how to obey God through his key role as the high priest.

We are not all leaders and that's okay. The followers, the support people, are there with all of their own individual talents and skills, who together, use them to serve God’s total plan – to lead everyone to His love, forgiveness, and salvation.

Planting Seeds - Using Your Time, Treasure, & Talent (3)

The Three T's
If our main purpose is to tell others about the Good News of Christ (and it is), then does it mean we are limited to just having conversations with people? No. There are many ways to tell others about Christ. There are many ways to plant seeds, either directly or indirectly, that play a part in God’s plan to work through every Christian to tell the world about His love. It all comes down to using the three T's as effectively as possible.

TIME
Time is a precious commodity. Maybe the most precious. Through an efficient use of our time, much can be achieved. But time can be wasted. The thing about time, and why it is so precious, is that you can never get it back. Once used, either effectively or squandered, it’s gone.

Christ Calls Us
Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." Matthew 16:24-25

How we use our time can make all the difference in being an effective witness and a servant of God. Taking a Saturday afternoon out of your schedule to help make door-hanger invitations to your church for your surrounding community is a way of using time effectively to serve God. Or, you could make the choice instead to go the beach or do some other fun activity, and think, "Someone else will do it." This is squandering the time God has given you.

Now don't get me wrong. God gives us time so that we can enjoy life and do pleasurable things. God wants us to have time to relax and enjoy life. Balance is the key. How many times have you made the choice to do something for yourself rather than help your church with a project or answer that nagging call God has placed inside you to start serving His purpose, yet you ignore it? It's much easier to not get involved, not talk about God, not put God first over our own desires. Isn't it? Oh yeah, it sure is.

Listen to what Paul says in Romans 7:15-25:
"I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.

"I know that I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.

"It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord..."

Is this guy kicking himself in the pants or what? Here we have the apostle Paul, arguably the MVP of apostles, beating himself to a pulp over and over saying I want to do good, but don’t; I want to do right but don't. So I hear you, people. It is hard to put God first, to make Him the priority, to serve Him first before serving yourself.

Yes, it's hard. But just as at the end when Paul (you can just hear him scream it out) bellows out, "Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!", we too, know that Jesus will save us, strengthen us, help us.

You just have to decide to make it your priority and discipline yourself to keep at it. And pray, pray, pray. Read, read, read (the Bible). Those are your two best tools to keep you motivated and focused in using your time to serve God. Seems obvious, right? But how often do we have this great idea to serve God (the spirit is willing) and start out gang-busters, only to realize a week or so later we’ve fizzled out and become distracted or discouraged?

Yeah, me too. Just like Paul.

Don’t let time slip through your fingers.

Use your time wisely. Use it to serve God first – in all that you do.

TREASURE
The second of the three T's. Money, money, money. It’s a tricky thing, money is. The root of all evil – yes, sometimes. But we need it, too. And it is a blessing from God. How we use it, that is, how we prioritize its use, however, is the key – just like time. When you make money more important than God, you're not serving God. As Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Luke 16:13)

Like time, using your treasures, your gifts from God, to serve Him, is a way of planting seeds. It may be more of an indirect way, but it's a powerful way.

Our churches, our missionaries, our outreach programs are all funded through monetary gifts. We tithe on Sunday. We give of our first fruits as a thank you to God for all He has done. We don't give our leftovers, or only if we can afford it, but we give because He first gave to us.

You know the parable in Luke 21 about the poor woman who put two pennies into her offering. Jesus said she had given more than all the rest, including the rich people, because they gave only a tiny part of their wealth, but she gave everything she had.

The point is to make a conscious effort to put God first in your treasures. Everything you have is from God anyway; you're simply giving back what He has given you. So give first to Christ, right off the top. Don’t first think about what bills you have to pay or vacation you have to say up for. Give first. Give joyfully.

Look at the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. Here was a very rich and very influential tax collector, albeit a little short in height. He climbed a tree to get a look at Jesus, but then to his surprise, Jesus called him by name and basically invited himself for dinner in Zacchaeus’ home. We know from the accounts in the Bible that tax collectors were traditionally cheats and robbers – otherwise known as notorious sinners. But Jesus had touched this man’s heart and he repented of his ways and said to Jesus, "I will give half of my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" And Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost."

Imagine what wonderful things Zacchaeus did with his wealth to help others from that moment going forward for the rest of his life.

Give first. Give joyfully.

TALENTS
With TALENTS I'm also including INTERESTS. Usually the things that we are good at are things that we like to do. Or we just may be really interested in a subject or an activity that we get really excited about. God has given you special talents and interests so that you: (1) experience extreme joy in using your talents; (2) share your talents to benefit and serve others; and (3) at the same time, use your talents in service to God by fulfilling God's purpose for you (and you know what that purpose is, right? I know you do but lets just say it again, okay? Your purpose is to share the GOOD NEWS of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord).

When it comes to your talents and interests, everyone is different. God's covering all his bases. Let's go back to Romans again and see what God tells us (I just love the book of Romans. It’s like the ultimate survival guide for Christians. If I was on a desert island and could only have two books from the Bible to read, I'd pick Romans and Psalms. It would be a tough choice not picking one of the gospels, but Romans has it all. Check it out and see).

"...We are all parts of His one body, and each of us has different work to do...God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly...Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically." Romans 12:5-11

More to follow...

Planting Seeds - Finding Your Purpose (2)

Finding Your Purpose

I know, I know, you’ve already read Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. And to that I say, bravo, it’s a wonderful book. If you haven’t already, I would even go further to say you should read it once a year, perhaps during the 40 days from Ash Wednesday till Easter, since Warren used the Biblical model of 40 days in putting his chapters together. Above that, first and foremost, however, I would hope you have a schedule for reading the Bible. Every day. You’ve read it cover to cover? Four times, you say? Read it forty more. God reveals Himself and His purpose through His precious, written Word.

So, you’ve read the Bible (a bunch of times), got the complete study guide collection of Warren’s Purpose Driven Life series, prayed a bunch and...do you know your purpose yet?

In case you don’t, let me give you the Reader’s Digest version:

Your purpose is to serve God by telling others about the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Make the Most of Every Opportunity to Witness
Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone. Colossians 4:5-6

There ya go. Now get to work.

Okay, okay, I know there are many different applications to our purpose, but it helps to keep in mind that no matter what we are doing to serve God, ultimately it simply comes down to the message from Jesus: "Tell others about me."

Remember we mentioned the Great Commission earlier? That is, Jesus' last words to the apostles (us) before going up into heaven? Lets look at it right now:

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Isn’t it great to know what your purpose is? I mean, if it’s coming from God, it’s got to be right? Right? It always amazes me how so many people go through life worrying and wondering, "What am I here for?"; "What does it all mean?"; "What is my purpose?" And the answer is sitting right there, always has been. All anyone has to do is read it. Believe it. And then do it. Nike had that right, at least, in its tag line, "Just do it." When it comes to telling others about Jesus, I don’t want to hear any complaints, no excuses, nothing that leads to procrastination. Just do it.

The Right Attitude for Service
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
1 Corinthians 15:58

And the funny thing is, the more you fulfill your purpose, the more you give of yourself and sacrifice for others, the more fulfilled you become. The more complete you feel. As you fulfill your purpose, the more sense of purpose you have. It’s easy to become complacent though, isn’t it? Life’s distractions, attractions, and responsibilities constantly pull at us, taking us away from our purpose. We’ll talk more about this in the last chapter, and about how to overcome those distractions by utilizing God’s tools in your utility belt that you keep on at all times, but for now just go along with Nike and think, "Just do it."

As Yoda said in the Star Wars series, "There is no try, there is only do."

So what are you waiting for? Get off your butt and start. Don’t make me come over there.

more to follow...

How to Treat Foreigners

To answer the question of how we should treat foreigners perhaps we should first answer the question, “Who is our neighbor?” Jesus answered that question by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. When it was the despised Samaritan who offered aid to the beaten Jewish man and not the Jewish priest nor the Temple assistant, Jesus asked, “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attached by bandits?” The answer – the one who showed mercy.

Mercy. Compassion. Are these qualities missing from society today, or at least, in hibernation? The Today Show ran a story recently about the growing rudeness of society by running a hidden camera segment showing a pregnant woman standing in a crowded subway car. The point was made about how rude society has become by showing how few people, already in seats, stood up to give the pregnant (and fatigued) women their seat.

The message from Jesus is to show mercy and compassion to those in need. He did not make a distinction between race, nationality, or gender for that matter. In the parable of the Good Samaritan we see the story of a person in great need and that it was the foreigner who showed mercy.

The Bible has a lot to say, in fact, about how to treat foreigners. When Abraham wept over the death of his wife, Sarah, he was a foreigner at the time in the land of Canaan. There, in this foreign land, he was shown mercy by the Hittites who gave him land to bury his wife. (Genesis 23: 4-6) In fact, they let him chose from their finest tombs.

Mercy. Compassion. And respect. God tells us not to oppress the foreigners living among us, (Exodus 23:9). To mercy, compassion, and respect, we also add kindness.

In the book of Leviticus, God’s Holy Handbook to the Hebrews for how to live and worship, God instructs his people, “Do not exploit the foreigners who live in your land. They should be treated like everyone else, and you must love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I, the Lord, am your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34, see also Deuteronomy 10:19).

Mercy. Compassion. Respect. Kindness. And now we add love.

On a short-term mission trip to Dangriga, Belize, Central America, I had the opportunity to experience all of the above, especially love. I thought I was going there to bring love, aid, teachings, and the message of God. But what I got from the people of Dangriga was more than anything I ever gave.

In February of this year, eleven people from my church, a small Lutheran church in Covina, California, embarked on a one-week trip to Belize through a mission organization called, “Praying Pelican.” They specialize in taking groups on short mission trips to Belize. Belize is an English speaking country, so for those with a missionary’s heart, but who also hold down a mortgage and a 9-to-5 job, it offers the opportunity to share the message of Christ’s love in a foreign land.

So there I was, the foreigner in a foreign land. While there, we led Bible studies and worship, witnessed to the neighborhood, visited the sick in their local hospital, painted the church and did some yard work. It was a great experience I have to say. But what I really got from it was the love, kindness, and gentleness that the Belizeans showed me and our entire group. The first day there, one of our group slipped and broke her arm. She was immediately taken to the hospital and cared for. They fed us, probably better than they fed themselves, and they shared with us a genuine love for Christ – they truly did love us as much as they loved themselves.

I kept thinking while I was there that if a group of my Belizean friends came to America, would they be treated the same? Would they be taken care of as if they were one of our own, as we were treated? Would the love of Christ that showed in their smiling faces be shown in ours? Or would we be too busy with trips to the beach, laundry, going on the Internet, Ipods, movies, Xbox, cell phones, and so many other distractions of life that keep us from truly interacting with each other as Christ commanded? With mercy, compassion, respect, kindness, and love.

I live in California where discussions around illegal immigration are at the top of the list. How do we treat these foreigners, these illegal immigrants? Going beyond my home, what about our soldiers in Iraq, how are they treated and how do they treat the Iraqis? And the rest of the world – what about all the full time missionaries in all the nations – how are they treated by their host county? In nations of great struggle like Africa – what about the ongoing crisis of genocide from Uganda to Rwanda to Darfu where neighbor rises against neighbor, nation against nation, tribe against tribe? In religious circles, how does the person of Christian, Islam, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, etc. faith get along with their religious neighbor?

The question isn’t about how we actually get along in the world today – the answer to that question is as varied as the grains of sand on a beach – with both positive and negative stories we see on the news every day – but the question is, how should we get along? How should we treat each other? Christ said the second greatest commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself. Our neighbor includes not only the family living next door but the one who comes from a foreign land and everyone in between. Does that include our illegal immigrants, our soldiers in a foreign land, our missionaries across the world, our surrounding nations, our neighbors of different faiths, etc.? Of course. Think again of the Samaritan – the foreigner in foreigner land – the one who showed the most mercy. It all comes down to how we treat each other – “Others will treat you as you treat them,” Jesus says in Matthew 7:2. As far as God is concerned we are all equal before Him, and all are subject to the same laws (Numbers 15:15).

At one time or another, we are all foreigners. Just as I was the foreigner in Belize, just as Abraham was the foreigner in Canaan, as Christians, we need to keep in mind that we are the biggest foreigners. Remember how the hymn goes: “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.” In Matthew 17: 24-27, the tax collectors asked if Jesus paid the temple tax. When Peter asked Jesus about it, Jesus asked if the kings taxed their own people or the foreigners. Peter answered, the foreigners. And so they paid the tax. As Christ’s people, we are the foreigners on earth. Our loyalty is to the real King – Jesus, not the kings of the earth.

Perhaps the clearest (and strongest) message from the Bible on how to treat others (that is, everyone) is given to us in Romans 12:9-10. “Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.”

That’s the way the people of Belize treated me, the foreigner.

At the end of the Good Samaritan parable, Jesus gives us a command. In the same way that the Samaritan showed mercy and love to his neighbor (and remember, everyone is our neighbor) Jesus tells us, “Now go and do the same.”

To that we answer, “Yes, Lord.”

With mercy.
With compassion.
With respect.
With kindness.
With love.

What is “Planting Seeds?” - Sharing Your Faith (1)

Want To Do It, But Don’t Know How

Do you ever want to do something so much that you feel your heart ache and your whole body yearn for it to happen? Do you feel an inner calling or sense that someone is urging you on to fulfill some purpose? To be more specific, do you deeply desire to share the wonderful message of salvation in Jesus Christ? Do you feel God urging you on to spread the Good News? You do?

Me, too.

But at the same time that you feel this deep, inner urging from God and the desire to serve His purpose, are you also:

a) Scared from your head down to your toes at the idea of speaking to your friends, let alone a stranger or co-worker, about Jesus
b) Completely clueless on how to start a conversation about your faith
c) Confused or worried about coming off as “intolerant,” “bigoted,” “narrow-minded,” and so on, to those whom you want to share your witness
d) Intimidated if they start asking you questions that you don’t know the answer to, especially when the questions are meant to challenge you (you know those kind of questions—ones like, “If your God is such a God of love and mercy why does he allow death, murder, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah...”)
e) All of the above

Me too.

I am basically an introvert. That’s one of the reasons I like to write. I can sit here in front of my computer and type happily away as thoughts form in my brain and flow down through my fingertips. But I am also trying to be an extrovert in my daily life. I took a job in sales to help hone my skills in talking to people, meeting strangers and developing relations with them, with the goal of helping them meet their needs in business. I should be able to apply that confidence and experience gained as a salesperson to my witness for Christ, right? Then why don’t I?

You Have Beautiful Feet – God Calls Us to His Purpose:
For “anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells him? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!” But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news—the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:13-17

Why can we engage in seemingly meaningless conversations with our co-workers, friends, even strangers when it comes to things like the latest blockbuster movie out, a top ten song on the air that’s really cool, a favorite sport, or even the weather?

It’s because nothing is at stake.

When we share the saving message of salvation in Christ, everything is at stake. We are sharing something that is deeply personal and meaningful to us, but at the same time may touch a nerve in the person we are speaking to. More than that, it touches their soul. And it makes people uncomfortable when they hear it because deep down they know the message of Christ is true, yet they refuse it.

Look at what Romans 1:19-23 says:
“For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes.”

Can anyone say, Golden Calf? Hello!?

What’s up with that, huh?

So here we are with this desire to serve God. We are all over Matthew 28:19-20 and the Great Commission given to us from Christ – His last words on earth before being taken up into heaven. We are fired up and are jumping for Jesus. But then we look to the left, we look to the right, and say, “Okay, what next?” We are a little nervous, a bit timid perhaps, and unsure of how to get started doing this witnessing thing. And on top of that, the people we want to witness to are for the most part not in the least bit interested in hearing what we have to say. “No thank you, buh-bye. Take a hike.”

Hmm. So now what do we do?

That where the idea of “planting seeds” comes in. It’s a pretty simple idea. People have already been doing it for some time, whether on purpose or by instinct. What I aim to do with this book is provide you with a whole bunch of tools, examples, ideas, resources, and suggestions to help you tap into your own way of planting seeds.

Be a Seed Planter
My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. The ones who do the planting or watering aren’t important, but God is important because he is the one who makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose.
1 Corinthians 3:6-8

Here’s the basic idea:

We all have things that we are interested in doing. Some people love art. Others love music, or sports, or reading, or...you know what you like to do. For me, I am a big movie nut. I love the cinema, love going to movies, watching them on DVD, love discussing the plot points and characters with friends. Yeah, I’m a movie geek.

Well, what if we could take something that we enjoy doing already, something that we get all jazzed and excited about, and use it as a way to get a conversation started while also weaving into it the message of redemption and salvation in Christ? We’re not attempting a full-on conversion here, but instead simply introducing the message (kind of an under-the-radar approach—think “guerilla Christianity”) and then letting the Holy Spirit take it from there. In essence, we are “planting seeds” for God to water and grow. God may continue to use you to help the garden you planted grow, or He may move you on like lil’ Johnny Appleseed to plant seeds elsewhere while bringing in another farmer to tend the seed you planted. Who knows? But at least it’s a place where we can start and it’s an easy, non-confrontational way to begin sharing your witness. Just to give you an example of what I mean, I will use a movie example (movie geek that I am, and hey, it’s my book so why not, right?).

Most of you, or many at least, have seen “The Matrix.” We’ll talk more about this movie later in the “Examples” section of this book since much has been written about the religious symbolism in the movie. Neo (or the “One”) is played by Keanu Reeves and his character’s main purpose is to free the people from the “Matrix” – a computer enhanced dream world where people live while their bodies are held in captivity by the machines. Neo learns that another world, the real world, exists, and he is called upon to be the savior of the people. Neo is a true Christ-figure – he dies near the end of the first film and is resurrected, coming into his true being and power, to vanquish the enemy.

When you’re sitting around the water cooler at work talking about your favorite films with a co-worker and you bring up “The Matrix” – can you see how relating Neo to Jesus Christ in your conversation could be the opening you need to begin witnessing? Can you see how you might help a person who doesn’t really know about Jesus (but may think they do) begin to understand when you use something they do know (e.g., Neo in “The Matrix”) to provide context and make a connection? For example, one connection between Neo and Jesus would be to parallel the sacrifice Neo makes at the end of the trilogy—his very life—for the “salvation” or continued life of the people. Sacrifice, unconditional love, being a servant – these are all discussion points that could possibly come up in a conversation and be steered toward the sacrifice, love, and servant attitude of Christ. As well as the differences! Whereas Neo dies and that’s it, Christ dies for his people and yet lives! Do you see how many different ways your witness could take you? And all from a simple conversation on common ground about the movie, “The Matrix,” which you both like.

God Has Plans For Us
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

Of course these examples only go so far and you will always want to be careful in how much you draw connections between the pop culture examples of our society and the message of salvation from sin through Christ Jesus.

But it’s a place to start, isn’t it? A place to get the conversation going and get past the fear of how to start and the worry about “coming on too strong” and turning people off. Hopefully, this idea of planting seeds can work for you, who, like me, cannot “preach like Paul” as the hymn goes:

“Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, ‘Who will go and work today?
Fields are white and harvests waiting, Who will bear the sheaves away?’
-----
If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus; You can say he died for all.
----
Let none hear you idly saying, ‘There is nothing I can do,’
While the multitudes are dying, And the master calls for you.
Take the task he gives you gladly; Let his work your pleasure be.
Answer quickly when he calls you, ‘Here am I, send me, send me.’”
(Traditional hymn: “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling”)

More to follow...

The Essential Christian

Sometimes I wonder what heaven will be like. I close my eyes and think about my fellow Christian brothers and sisters and ponder spending eternity together with them. And then my thoughts stop and I open my eyes, my brow creasing, my mouth frowning. It’s not that I don’t want to spend eternity with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. No, my confusion is over the question: Just WHO ARE my brothers and sisters in Christ? By last count, there are over 1,500 variations of Christian denominations. That’s one thousand, five hundred.

Break that number of 1,500 down and we start to see the denominations by their smaller, core groupings – such as Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Orthodox, and then you got your “non-denominational” types like Calvary, Mariners, Assembly, Emergent, well, the list goes on, but any way you look at it, there are lots of variations to the Christian faith.

That’s a lot of “different” Christians. But wait. Isn’t a Christian, a Christian? That is, don’t we all believe the same thing? If we don’t all believe the same thing, are we all getting into heaven? Or are there various levels of heaven? For example, I go to a Lutheran church. A Lutheran church – Missouri synod, that is. Now we Lutherans got that Sola Scriptura thing going for us. We’re all over theology and doctrine – we got it down! So does that mean we Lutherans (Missouri synod, don’t forget) get the penthouse suite in heaven because we understood the Bible better than other “Christian denominations?”

Of course I’m being silly here, but all to make a point – just what does being a Christian mean? And do all Christians go to heaven even though they disagree, quite vehemently in some cases, with different parts of the Bible and its interpretation?

God only knows.

So what then, does it mean to be a Christian?

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6)). At the very heart of Christianity is Christ. Without Jesus, then Christianity may as well be some kind of generic, feel good philosophy about doing good deeds and believing in yourself. But if Christ is at the center of our faith, then we must all have the same understanding of who He is and what we believe about Him.

You see, there’s something at the core of what it means to be a Christian. That is, if you say you are a Christian, there are certain non-negotiable beliefs you must have in order to hold on to that membership card to the Christian faith.

As Christians, you may have some differing opinions on some parts of the Bible and how they are interpreted, for example, the sacraments of baptism and communion. Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, the list goes on, have both similar and different views. Concerning baptism, do you believe in infant baptism or baptism only as an adult? In communion, do you believe the bread and wine actually become Christ’s body and blood after they are blessed or are they always symbolic?

How about the beginning when God created us and the world in seven days? Do you believe it was an actually seven days as we know time – that is, seven, 24-hour days? Or do you believe that since God is not restricted by time as we are, that “seven” days is a relative term and that, while you believe God created everything, you think it’s possible it took longer – that perhaps a “day” in God’s terms could have been anywhere from a hundred to a million years?
And what about the end of the world? Do you believe there will be a tribulation? A 1000-year reign of Christ on our earth before we go to heaven? Are you a pre- or post-millennist? Okay, we’re just scraping the tip of the iceberg on some of the different things that everyone who calls themselves a Christian believes in.

So are there differences among fellow Christian beliefs?

You better believe it.

But lets go back now to those non-negotiable beliefs, the basics, if you will, that all Christians must have in order to really be able to call themselves a Christian and be assured of a place in heaven to reign with Christ forever one day.

What then, makes up the Essential Christian?

It’s very simple, actually. Since Jesus is at the center, that is, the heart, of our Christian faith, lets see what He has to say.

To begin with, Jesus declares that there is only ONE way to eternal life with God and it is a way that few decide to follow. In Matthew chapter 7, verses 12 and 13, Jesus says, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.” The Essential Christian has but one road to walk down, which sounds simple and straight-forward. That’s because it is! How ironic then, that only a few ever find it.

So we know that being a Christian means we’ll have challenges and is not the most popular choice to choose, but still, what does it mean to be a Christian?

Jesus tells us more about who a Christian really is when he speaks to the rich young man (Matthew 19:16-30 as well as in Mark and Luke). One day, a rich young man approached Jesus and asked him what good things must he do to have eternal life? First, Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, that is, obey God. The rich young man tells Jesus he has kept the commandments. What else must he do? Jesus then answers, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. The come, follow me.” After this, the rich young man walks away in great sadness. Here, Jesus exposed that the rich young man was putting his money in front of God. Money was his God.

Now we have a few more answers to who the Essential Christian is – a person who obeys God and who puts God first.

There’s something more, though. Something that unites all Christians at the very core of who Jesus is and what Jesus did for us. And how interesting that we have one of the best examples of the Essential Christian in a criminal. I’m speaking, of course, of one of the two criminals who was crucified along with Jesus. Here was this person, who, for most of his life we can assume, led a life of crime. Certainly he had no thoughts of a God except the ones he probably created for himself in the things he stole. Even earlier when he was placed on his own cross next to Jesus, this criminal scoffed and mocked Jesus as recorded in Matthew 27:44. But something miraculous happened during the time this criminal hung on the cross next to Jesus. Somewhere along the line, this criminal came to believe in Jesus – to believe that Jesus was God – and believe that Jesus could save him:

“We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong,” said the criminal. Then, turning his head towards Jesus, he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus answered, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23: 41-43).

There, in this dying criminal, is the key component of what it means to be a Christian – believing in Jesus as your Lord and perfect Savior. Though we don’t know for sure, it’s a pretty good bet that this man was never baptized, never partook in anything resembling a communion (the first one, in fact, had just recently occurred in the Upper Room). He probably didn’t even know one of the commandments, for that matter. But he did believe in Jesus. And in that belief, he was given the blessed assurance and promise of spending eternal life in heaven with his Lord and Savior, Jesus.

He was and is a Christian.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not dismissing baptism or communion or anything else in the Bible as inconsequential. The Bible speaks clearly about the importance of baptism in Christ’s Great Commission to tell the world about him with part of his command included the words, “Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16) Christ also tells us to partake regularly of communion with him when he said in the upper room, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19c).

The point, however, is that to be a Christian is to simply believe in Jesus. As we dig deeper and deeper into the Bible we uncover more and more about God’s plans for us and how we should live. And as Christians, we need to continue to spiritually grow in knowledge and wisdom. God, in fact, commands it in the Bible in Hebrews 5:12-6:1a:

“You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right. So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.”

So yes, Christian growth in the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word – God’s will for us – is part of what is means to be an Essential Christian. Who doesn’t like solid food, after all? We need to keep growing in faith and wisdom, while at the same time not get bogged down in differences and disagreements. We must not separate our unity in Christ, of which that essential core is a simple faith in Jesus as our Savior. We all know the verse that sums up the Essential Christian best:

“For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

It is this central core, the heart of Christianity, that we must keep beating in unity as those who profess to be Christians. Instead of being divisive and allowing differences of theology and doctrine to keep us separate and detract us from going out into the world to share the message of that simple faith in Christ with those that do not have it (which were Jesus’ final words, his command, that is, to us on earth, by the way), no, instead of fulfilling Jesus Great Commission, we spend our precious time on earth locked in internal debate while the unsaved look on us while scratching their heads saying, “Yeah right, I’m supposed to believe in that? You guys can’t even agree on it amongst yourselves so why should I?”

In Ephesians 4:12-16, God tells us that we have the responsibility to equip each other “to do His work and build up the church, that is, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

I’m looking forward to the day when I’ll be fully united with my brothers and sisters in Christ and there will no longer be divisions of faith in multiple denominations. We’ll all be one in Christ. And as long as we profess that core belief while we are still on earth, as professed in John 3:16, that simple yet powerful faith in Jesus as our savior, then I can already say that, at our core, that is, in our hearts, we ARE one in Christ.

I can leave it to God to work out the details of who gets the penthouse in heaven. It doesn’t really matter to me – as long as I’m in heaven with my savior, that’s all that matters.

So who is the Essential Christian? As I said earlier, God only knows. But believing in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, well that’s both the place to start and the place to end.

The Greatest Commandments God Gives Concern Love

When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said:

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all
your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is
equally important – Love your neighbor as yourself. All the other
commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two
commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40 (The Bible – New Living Translation)

God is Love

Agape is a Greek word that means love. Agape is the highest level or expression of love. It is the kind of love that is expressed through words like: divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, devotion, and thoughtful. But the most pure definition of agape is to say that God is love. Not that God has love or gives love, which He certainly does, but simply that God is love. The Bible tells us this:

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God—for God is love.”

“God showed us how much he loved us by sending His only Son into the world so we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

1 John 4:7-10 (The Bible – New Living Translation)