You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5The need for a coherent and compelling apologetic is reiterated daily. From time to time, it is a need I meet with despair. How do you present the gospel when words are constantly being redefined and the lines between fiction and reality are spoken of interchangeably? ... It is not my ability to communicate or my winsome personality, but the gospel itself that speaks with power, and it is this power that speaks in my life: "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus's sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5). It is a mindset imperative not only in understanding the Christian story, but the very nature of truth itself. Namely, that which is real, that which exists and has meaning, exists whether we choose to stand beside it or not. Even in the throes of postmodernity, Jesus is Lord and the gospel is powerful. And this we forget when we focus on our ability or inability to answer powerfully the current line of questioning.
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:35
The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”
Psalm 11:3
But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. Psalm 11:4
C.S. Lewis once asked, "Where, except in the present, can the eternal be met?" In my dismay over the immeasurable need for truth and coherence, in my frustration for lack of words, and despair for not seeming to get through, I fail to live entirely in the present. Whether wishing I had paid more attention in philosophy or hoping to find one more book on effective ministry, I fail to remember that within the hope of the kingdom I want to bring even on an airplane is the person of Christ, present and relevant today...What are we communicating to our neighbors right now?
Comments: I want to be "All-in". A shining example of one who is all-in is Kirk Cameron. Whether you agree with his method in way of the master, or even if you do not think him to be a great actor. We must agree that he is all in for Christ. I remember seeing a news story about how tired and raveged he was after several hours of questioning from an audience. I remember seeing him simply spent and saying something like, "I knew this would be tough, but I didn't realize there would be so many angry people."
Like Kirk, no matter what pressures comes our way, may we, having done all to stand, Stand. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:18
No comments:
Post a Comment