Posts

Encourage One Another

/0 Comments/in /by

Why do we, as Christians, sometimes hold back from sharing the Good News? Is it because, quite simply, people can get really put off when we mention the name of Jesus. We dont like to offend, and we dont want someone thinking were weird, or that were judging them.

So its just easier to stop talking about our faith altogether. Yet, Jesus commands us to continue reaching our world – to not give up, to be steadfast – even when people mock us. Because, when we stop actively sharing our faith, we begin drifting away from the purpose God has for our lives.

Were warned about this kind of spiritual drifting in Hebrews 3:12 and 13: “See to it brothers, that none of you has an unbelieving heart, that turns away from the living God.” Then the writer goes on to say, “Encourage one another daily …so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness.”

The sin of being ashamed of Jesus is deceitful, isnt it? It can be so subtle that we dont even recognize it. So how can we protect ourselves and others from this sin? “Encourage one another daily!” We all need encouragement! So lets encourage our brothers and sisters to keep spreading the Good News. Its the best way to protect ourselves from the sin of silence

Relationship with the Church

/0 Comments/in /by

In America, and all of the Western Nations, there are thousands of people like my friend whom we call, Junior. He lives in Florida. He’s a businessman. And one day, not long ago, he surrendered to Jesus Christ.

We put him up to tell his story and he began with, “I used to have a relationship with the church but no relationship with Jesus Christ.” You know, that’s the story of millions of people in the West.

So many people have a relationship with the church – 80% of Americans say they belong to a church… New Zealand, Australia, England, Germany, Latin America – many nations, they will all say, “Yes, I believe in the church,” but they have no experience of Jesus Christ.

The Scripture tells us very clearly that when a person opens their heart to Jesus Christ they begin a real relationship, a personal relationship, with Him. It’s not “religion.” This is the mistake so many people make. We’re not talking about religion, we’re talking about a personal relationship with the living God.

The Bible says that “to know God is to know eternal life” and, therefore, when you introduce your friend to believe in Jesus Christ, to give their heart to Him, to obey Him and follow Him, you are helping your friend to change from a relationship with the church to a relationship with Jesus Christ, and that is what eternal life is all about.