WHY SHARING YOUR FAITH IS SO VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR WORLD.

5/17/19

AS I SIT DOWN TODAY TO WRITE ABOUT JESUS, I AM ONCE AGAIN REMINDED ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE SHARE OUR FAITH. I AM CHEWING ON THE NEWS THAT ANOTHER YOUNG PERSON HAS TAKEN THEIR LIFE RECENTLY, AND NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHY….WHY, WHY, WHY ? I HAD NEVER MET THE YOUNG MAN, BUT HE WAS CLOSE TO SOMEONE I REALLY LOVE AND ENJOY BEING WITH. SHE IS HURTING, AND SAD, AND CONFUSED…..LIFE IS A PRECIOUS THING, AND WHEN IT IS TAKEN OR GIVEN AWAY IN AN INSTANT, IT IS HARD TO MAKE SENSE OF IT. WE SEEM TO BE SEEING MORE OF IT EVERY DAY, AND IN FACT THERE IS A LOT OF NUMBNESS THAT SEEMS TO BE SETTING IN TO OUR SOCIETIES AND CULTURES ABOUT IT. FLIP ON THE NEWS….ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK, ANOTHER SHOOTING, A TRUCK MOWING DOWN INNOCENTS, ANOTHER SUICIDE OR TRAGIC ACCIDENT. A PRECIOUS LIFE GONE. TRAGIC. BUT LIFE GOES ON. GOT TO GO, FINISH A PROJECT, GET TO AN APPOINTMENT, WATCH A SPORTS EVENT, GO TO CHURCH SERVICE, GRAB A BITE TO EAT. HOW ABOUT WE JUST STOP, AND THINK, AND TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS TIME.

HOW ABOUT WE WAKE UP AND START TAKING NOTICE OF THE WORLD AROUND US, AND OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD AS WELL. IN A DISCUSSION WITH MY KIDS ON MOTHER’S DAY, WE GOT ON THE SUBJECT OF HOW MUCH THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE MY WIFE AND I WERE THEIR AGE. THEY ARE 9/11 KIDS. THEY GREW UP WITH TERRORISM AND JIHAD AS DAILY NEWS, PRACTICING DRILLS FOR AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION AT THEIR SCHOOLS. THEY ATTEND CONCERTS AND SPORTS EVENTS, AND FAIRS, AND FUN NIGHTS OUT WITH FRIENDS AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR SAFETY ! THEY LIVE IN A WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA THAT MAKES LIFE SEEM LIKE ONE AMAZING EVENT AFTER ANOTHER. LIFE IS ONE BIG PARTY, AND IF YOU AREN’T IN IT, YOU MUST HAVE A PROBLEM. YOU MUST BE OFF….JUST DON’T FIT IN PROBLEMS MUST BE SOLVED RIGHT NOW, AND NO ONE HAS TIME TO BE PATIENT AND LET THINGS WORK THEMSELVES OUT. WHY ?. YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS STRUGGLE TO GET JOBS, BUILD CAREERS, MAKE MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS, FEED THEIR FAMILIES, SAVE MONEY FOR EMERGENCIES,….SURVIVE ARE YOU TIRED OF THIS SONG AND DANCE ? I AM ! WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT WE ASK, AS WE WRING OUR HANDS IN FRUSTRATION AND ANGER, THEIR WORDS, NOT MINE.

HOW ABOUT WE DO THIS ? HOW ABOUT WE START SHARING OUR FAITH….IN A REAL AND VULNERABLE WAY. NO ONE I KNOW HASN’T FACED HARD TIMES OR HARD DECISIONS. NO ONE I KNOW HASN’T BEEN LONELY OR FELT ALONE IN THEIR DIFFICULTIES. STOP AND LOOK AROUND YOU AND GET OUT OF SELF AND INTO HELPING SOMEONE ELSE. SHARE THE PICTURE OF GOD AS HOPE AND ANSWERS TO LIFE. IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM, LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE. HE IS WITH YOU. THE STORM MAY TAKE SOME TIME TO END, BUT YOU ARE NOT ALONE. YOU ARE LOVED. GOD WILL BE BESIDE YOU AND SEE YOU THROUGH IT, HE HAS FOR ME, AND HE WILL FOR YOU. TAKE A LOOK AROUND YOU, AT YOUR WORKPLACE, AT YOUR DINNER GROUP, AT YOUR BOOK GROUP, AT YOUR GYM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY AT YOUR KITCHEN TABLE ! WE NEED TO STOP BEING OBSERVERS AND SELF INDULGERS AND START ACTIVELY SHARING OUR GOD. HE IS ABLE, HE IS STRONG, AND HE WANTS TO BE IN OUR LIVES. LET’S GET REAL AND START PRAYING WITH BOLDNESS AND AUTHENTICITY, AND SHARE OUR HEARTS AND LOVE WITH OTHERS.

OUR WORLD IS A MESS. OUR COUNTRIES ARE DIVIDED INTO TRIBES. OUR GROUP, OUR AGENDA, OUR NEEDS, OUR WAY, OUR PRIORITIES, AND IF YOU DISAGREE, YOU ARE WRONG, IGNORANT, SELFISH, BIGOTED, RACIST, PHOBIC, WORTHLESS…..

THE AMAZING THING ABOUT JESUS ? HE LOVED EVERYONE, EVEN THE ONES THAT EVERYONE ONE ELSE DESPISED. AND HE CAME TO OFFER THEM HOPE, AND LIFE, AND JOY, AND BELONGING. THEY ALL BELONGED IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS BE REBORN IN HIM, BELIEVE IN HIM. TRUST IN HIM. GIVE THEIR LIFE TO HIM.

JESUS ANSWERED, “ I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME. IF YOU REALLY KNOW ME, YOU WILL KNOW MY FATHER AS WELL.” John 14

THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU, THE MIGHTY WARRIOR WHO SAVES. HE WILL TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN YOU; IN HIS LOVE HE WILL NO LONGER REBUKE YOU, BUT WILL REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING. Zephaniah 3:17.

WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE CULTURE RULES AND SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE SEEM TO SET THE RULES AND TELL EVERYONE HOW TO LIVE. DON’T BE DIFFERENT OR YOU MIGHT BE SHUNNED, CAST OFF LIKE SOME WORTHLESS THING. LIFE IS HARD AND PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO GET BY. CIVIL DISCOURSE IS DYING, AND HATRED SEEMS TO BE GROWING…..YOU GUESSED IT, …..ROME, AND THE LANDS THEY CONTROLLED. AND IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL, JESUS WAS BORN. BORN FOR US. BORN TO BE OUR SALVATION. BORN TO BE OUR LORD AND KING. NOT A LOT HAS CHANGED IN OUR WORLD TODAY. EVERYWHERE HAS SOME ROME IN THEIR MIDST….BUT JUST LIKE THEN, JESUS IS HERE. HERE FOR YOU. HERE FOR YOU TO SHARE, RIGHT AT YOUR KITCHEN TABLE TONIGHT. TRY IT, AND SEE HOW MUCH JOY AND HOPE YOU CAN PLANT IF YOU JUST TRY.

IF YOU FEEL ALONE, OR ARE LOSING HOPE, SEEK HELP AND SEEK GOD. HE LOVES YOU AND WILL KEEP YOU IN HIS CARE. NEVER GIVE UP ON HIM, HE IS ENDLESS, AND SO IS HIS LOVE. PEACE TO ALL JA

I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU. Hebrews 13:5