Word for Today, Tue, 21 Jun 2005: Sharing Our Faith
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Welcome to summer, it's here in the Northern Hemisphere. Where I
live, it's actually turned warm - without rain, at least
today. Yesterday, I shared with you the importance of prayer and
reading the Bible and thinking about the things of God throughout
the day.
Today, Larry Davies has written his weekly devotional series,
which I generally share some time during the week. This message
is about sharing our faith. I have to ask the question: "How can
we share our faith unless we know what our faith is?" To me,
reading the Bible, thinking (meditating) on it, and praying, are
absolutely essential, not only for our own well being, but also
so that we can share our faith with others. How could I possibly
even thing about this ministry unless I had something to share
myself?
May God impress upon each one of us the importance of reading and
thinking about His Word and about devoting specific time each
day, and thoughts throughout the day, about what God's Word means
and how it can apply to each of our lives in tangible, practical
ways.
It is my personal belief that a constant diet of God's Word and
meditation on it is the lasting cure to the anxieties of life.
When we surrender to God, our problems do not go away, but we can
rid ourselves of anxiety by learning to know God and to
completely trust Him.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
____________________________
Sowing Seeds of Faith...
"Hello everyone...I just have to tell you all what a great God we
serve! Perhaps some of you will remember my very suicidal prayer
requests. About 8 months ago my Mum and Dad were going to file
for a divorce, my sister and I were very suicidal. (It's a
miracle in itself that we are all still alive!) Well now the
whole family is well founded in a WONDERFUL church. Mum and Dad
are more happily married than they have been for years. We are
not the same family - even the neighbors mentioned how they can't
hear us fighting anymore! What a great witness, huh!? God told me
to encourage as many Christians as I could because although we
can't always see what our effort is doing, it is ALWAYS doing
something! Thanks for all those prayers you made for me. They
changed my life. So, lets storm the skies of Heaven and change
other lives!" Katherine
Read 'Sowing Seeds of Faith...' every day of the year. Click here
and save this page to your favorites list then enjoy a fresh
devotion every
day. http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm
-------------------
"I Don't Eat Pork..." Part 2 Larry Davies
According to author Alex Haley, when a prisoner said, "I don't
eat pork!" he took a first step toward God. "If you will take one
step toward God. God will take two steps toward you." As sincere
and committed Christians we too must be prepared to stand up and
say, "I don't eat pork!" Our priorities should change. We claim
to love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul and with
all our mind. We say we love others as much as we do
ourselves. So, we should act different. We should think
different. Shouldn't we? This noticeable change in attitude
becomes our witness to the outside world.
Paul challenges us in Corinthians to be wary of eating meat which
has been sacrificed to idols. At first glance, this Scripture
doesn't make much sense so I discovered a more appropriate
example: alcohol. I made a personal decision to stop drinking
because I could influence others who have a problem. I also
figured that my not drinking in a drinking crowd would give me an
opportunity to talk about God.
Sure enough, the first time I attended a business meeting,
someone asked, "why aren't you drinking?" This is what I prayed
for! Here was my chance to say loudly and clearly to someone: "I
don't eat pork!" This was my opening to be a witness for
Christ... to share my faith. So what was my response to this God
given opportunity? "I'm not drinking because... I'm on a diet."
I'm on a diet? Is that lame or what?
Eventually, I did summon up the courage to tell others how my
life has changed and used those opportunities to share my
faith. In many ways, this was my first hesitating step toward God
and it wasn't long before God took many steps toward me. But,
this story is not about drinking but about being a more effective
witness. There are other ways we can say to the world, "I don't
eat pork!"
I also had a bad habit of occasionally entertaining my friends
with off-color stories and jokes. My new-found faith demanded
better. At first, I simply walked away from the crowd when the
jokes turned spicy but that only made me look judgmental and
cold. So, I discovered a better way by learning to tell new
stories with a more spiritual message. Maybe this was my
preparation for ministry. (Just kidding!)
"Disciple Bible Study" is taught every year at our church and
requires a daily habit of Scripture reading. Students frequently
take their Bibles to work so they can read during breaks. Before
the course ends at least one student will mention someone from
work approaching their desk asking, "Why are you reading the
Bible so much?" which produces another golden opportunity to
share their faith.
One family met for lunch after church every Sunday and spent the
entire meal criticizing their pastor and church. One woman was
deeply concerned but didn't know what to say? She tried being
quiet. She tried making more positive statements. Nothing seemed
to work. "Maybe I should just tell them off, get up from the
table and leave!" she said. "But they're my family. I love
them. What should I do?"
Several weeks later, she approached me with a smile and said,
"The Lord answered my prayers. Last Sunday during lunch when the
conversation began to sour, I suggested we try saying a prayer
for our pastor and church. There was a long silence but my uncle
finally said, 'I think it's a great idea,' and next thing I knew
we were praying together and afterward, the criticism
miraculously stopped."
Every day, God gives you a chance to say to the world, "I don't
eat pork." Or try this question: "If you were arrested for being
a Christian... would they have enough evidence to convict you?"
Paul goes on to say, "Anyone who claims to know all the answers
doesn't really know very much. But the person who loves God is
the one God knows and cares for." (1 Cor. 8:2-3) Actions speak
louder than words.
John was trying to leave for the long journey home. But a
snowstorm developed and traffic advisories urged everyone to stay
off the roads. "It's all interstate. I can make it." he
thought. Within an hour, John regretted his decision. The snow
was coming so thick he could hardly move. Finally pulling off
under an overpass, John tried to figure what to do. Then, he
heard a tapping on his window. "Sorry to bother you," the
stranger said. I saw you leave and I figured you knew what to do,
so I followed you."
Like it or not, we are all watched and followed. The question is:
"Are we leading in the right direction?"
30 Day Challenge: Pray each morning for God to give you
opportunities to be a witness. At the end of the day, look back
and share honestly with God how you responded. At the end of just
thirty days, you should have a new enthusiasm for creatively
sharing your faith and a few stories. Please write our ministry
and tell us so we can use your experiences to inspire others.
Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm
Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm
How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm
Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)
"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe for a
Better Life" now on sale only through our
website. http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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