The Call

      
         Did you know that 80% percent of believers have never shared the Gospel with anyone? Poles and statistics are not a perfect science you say? Correct, I am using the most optimistic of the statistics that have come out. Many have shown that it could be as high as 97%. Since I am an optimist and have a profound love for Christ's church, I am giving us the benefit of the doubt at 80%.
      
        So what about you? Are you going to step into eternity as a failure in the only mission that He ever gave us? Sure, we have a commandment: to love God and love others, but this is our mission.

        The sad part is that the Gospel is so simple. Jesus has done all of the pre-work and the Holy spirit will do all of the post-work. People only need to turn from sin (choosing their way over His) to Him.

        I want to ask you to do something right now. Picture a person that you truly care about who does not know Christ. Do you have someone in mind? Good. Now, stop reading for a moment and take the next 30 second to ask God to use you to reach them.


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        Let's take the challenge one step further. Take out your phone and call them. Use me as an excuse. You could say something like, "I am reading a blog that asked me to think of a person that I care about who has not made a decision to follow Jesus and YOU were the FIRST person to pop into my head. Can I tell you what He has done in my life?" (Be sure to include; His death to beat sin, resurrection to beat death, our responsibility of repentance from what we've done and faith in what He did.) Ask you friend if he or she would like to make the same decision.

        Evangelism is nothing more than sharing His role in your story. We simply tell how we got from where we were to where we are now. Did you make the call? Did you have the courage? Please don't wait. Your friend is too important to waste time doing ANYTHING else. Once we get over the awkward stigma of sharing our faith it becomes a natural part of who we are.

        How did your phone call go? What was the response? Do not be upset if they say no. The point is that YOU were obedient to His Great Commission. Please comment on this blog about your experience in sharing the good news. Don't be one of the 80%.

Would Jesus Burn the Koran?

People everywhere (including this blogger) were outraged this week to hear the plans of Terry Jones, a pastor of a small church in Gainesville Florida. He stated that he and his followers would be burning the Koran on the 9th anniversary of 9/11. Muslims around the world have been protesting and even threatening violence. I even heard one man say on CNN that muslims everywhere would kill Americans if the Koran was burned. They have already burning straw men with Terry Jones' face along with the American flag. Hold the phone people. Is this the peaceful religion of Islam that they keep telling us about?

Am I for the burning? Absolutely NOT! I believe that pastor's everywhere should stand up and speak out against it. In fact they are. Rick Warren and others have condemned this hateful and shameful act. Does that make the news? Of course not!

Should our government stop a citizen from expressing his right to free speech or put pressure on him to stop? No, they should not! Muslim leaders around the world have been trying to persuade our President to stop him from acting. I am sorry but that is not our President's place. It is also not his place to speak up for the rights of those building the New York mosque that is billed as insensitive by Americans at large. Just as one week later, to speak out against a different brand of insensitivity when free speech is concerned is not his place either. This my friends, may be considered hypocritical, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Since I know nothing of the pressure he must be under to speak out on these issues.

The good news is that earlier today Terry Jones did a press conference to say that it was postponed. The bad news is that he later said that it may be on again. I think the publicity has gone to his head. His 15 minutes of fame should have been over by now.

The big question on everyone's mind is What Would Jesus Do? Well for starters he would LOVE his enemies. So if burning an object that "your enemies" consider sacred is a loving act, then go right ahead. If it is not however, then stop saying you represent our God! We should show our faith by our love.

I hate how one bigoted extremist gets so much press. We should react different than the world or even other religions. One example that comes to mind is when Comedy Central planned to have Mohammed in a bear costume in an episode of South Park they received death threats from Muslims. They decided to censor the program. Now they plan to release a cartoon called JC, which will openly make fun of Jesus Christ and Christianity. What should we do? Nothing. Let's take the high road. Let others see our love rather than our hate. Remember, "Love your enemies, and do good to those who despitefully use you".

I hope Terry Jones and his small ragtag band of followers do truly call off their charade. I hope Muslims see that Christians everywhere are against this type of act. I am not against it because of fear, but because it is un-Christlike in the highest since of the word.

My Prayer for America

Almighty God, I want to thank you for allowing me to live in a country where we have the right and privilege to seek you through prayer.  Please watch and guide all of the true believers who live in countries where worship of you is forbidden.  I admire their courage and ask for strength to approach you boldly if my country should ever adopt similar laws and attitudes.

Father, I ask that you would bless and guide our President, his family, and staff.  Surround him with people that will speak truth.  Help him to do what is best for our nation.  Please remind me of my duty to not only pray for my leaders on a daily basis, but to respect them as appointed by you to administer justice.

Lord, I lift up our congress to you and ask that you would give them wisdom.  Let those politicians that know you, be a light in the halls of the Capital building and to the states and districts that they represent.  Let our laws strengthen our land.  Help me to obey our laws to the extent that they do not contradict your Holy Law.

I pray for our Supreme Court as well as the judges on the lower courts.  I know that you are the Supreme Judge and will ultimately stand in judgment over every decision that they have rendered.  Please forgive our land for following the ruling that has caused the slaughter of innocent unborn children.  They were knit together in your image, yet regarded as inconvenient.  O God, forgive us.  Lord, I ask that you would call Christians to love the families and mothers affected by a decision to silence a preborn child.  Help them to find hope and forgiveness in your one and only son Jesus Christ.

God, please send your angels to protect and keep watch over our soldiers oversees.  I may not always agree with our methods, but I pray that you would grant safety nonetheless.  I pray that we would bring those who would mean us harm to justice, minimize civilian casualties, and bring an end to the fighting.

Thank you for your gift of marriage.  Forgive us where we have failed you in bringing your lifelong institution to a premature end through divorce.  I pray that your light would be seen through believers to alter the course of marriages through the transforming of our lives by your son.  God, we discuss whether the state can marry same sex couples, and many Christians are angry.  Turn our anger into compassion for those who are far from you.  Reach them with our love, that they may no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world.

Call Christians out of a partisan and denominational mindset.  I ask that we would vote our conscience rather than falling in line with what a political party tells us to believe.  Help us to see that those who trust in you are first and foremost followers of Jesus and not Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, or any other denomination.  Thank you for the work you have done through these churches, but forgive our division. Make us ONE!

God, help our nation's Christian parents to take seriously our responsibility to raise our children to honor you.  May we no longer rely on the church to do our job.  Let us make them a priority in our families second only to our marriages.

Lord, thank you for the millions that you have called to prayer this day, and I thank you for hearing us.  Thank you for your unending love, your holiness, and your forgiveness that cleanses from all sin.  Thank you for your grace and mercy that never ends.  Thank you for the right we receive through Jesus to be called your children.  I love you.  Thank you for listening to my prayer that I pray all these things in the name of the risen son of God who is Jesus Christ my Lord and my Redeemer.  Amen.