What do you think of when you see Christmas lights?
Light is a powerful symbol and is used often in the Bible, particulary in the New Testament and more particularly in reference to Jesus.
When Simeon took the baby Jesus into his arms, he blessed God for the child, whom he said would be “a light of revelation to the Gentiles.”
The apostle John referred to Jesus as the “Light” that “shines in the darkness” and which “coming into the world, enlightens every man.” (John 1:5, 9). Jesus said, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5). Continue reading “The Meaning Of Christmas Lights”
Have you ever wondered why pastors seem so concerned about offerings and attendance? If you are close to your pastor, you may have heard him ask after a service about the offering or attendance. Maybe you thought him unspiritual for doing so. After all, shouldn’t he be more concerned with the presence of God in the service or whether the sermon was anointed?
Most good pastors are very interested in offerings and attendance, and for good reason. The truth is there is no better objective criteria for gaging the health of a local church than whether it’s people are consistently showing up and giving. Continue reading “Why Good Pastors Are Concerned About Offerings And Attendance”
I’m hardwired as a disciplined learner. It’s the way I was created.
As a result, I’ve been able to learn to do a number of different things competently, not because I’m naturally skilled at them but because I’ve ascertained the fundamentals then diligently practiced them.
When the Apostle Paul arrived in Athens, he probably didn’t know what to expect. Yet, it wasn’t too long before he had led an Athenian Supreme Court justice to the Lord and others as well. (Acts 17:34).
If you are a Christian, here’s four things you can learn from Paul’s success in Athens that will make you more effective in sharing the Gospel. (Acts 17:16-34).
1. Be Observant. Paul was observant. He observed the Athenians’ culture and religious practices. (Acts 17:16, 22). This gave him a place to start when he began sharing the gospel with them.
2. Be Relevant. Paul was relevant. When speaking to these Greeks, Paul quoted from Greek poets: Epimenides ( v. 28 — “…in Him we live and move and exist….”) and Aratus (v. 28–“For we also are His offspring.“). Paul was well-read and knew the Greek culture. Consequently, he was able to connect with his audience and draw them in.
3. Be Provocative. This doesn’t mean to be rude, but you shouldn’t be shy about challenging belief systems and provoking people to reexamine their faulty worldviews. Paul told the Athenian Supreme Court he knew the God they worshipped in ignorance (v. 23) and that God did not dwell in their temples (v. 24). He said this with one of the most famous temples in the world–the Parthenon, the temple of the Greek goddess Athena–just a few hundred yards away. Pretty provocative.
4. Be Attuned. To your audience, that is. When standing before the Areopagus, Paul knew he was speaking to judges, so he talked to them about judgment (“…He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world…”) and evidence (“…having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead”), two things–judgment and evidence–judges know something about. (Acts 17:31).
Do you do these things? I’m interested in your comments on any experiences you might have had. GS
Transformation is one of the hallmarks of the kingdom of God. Jesus redeems us and then begins to sanctify us, transforming us into His image. Also, Jesus became man, busting up into history to plant the kingdom seeds that would ultimately change the world. He now sits at the right hand of God the Father waiting for us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to transform the world into the place He intended it to be. In short, Jesus changes us so we can change the world.
One of the great transformation stories in the New Testament is that of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They must have been an interesting pair. Their nickname was Sons of Thunder. I suspect this was because they were zealous, aggressive, ambitious and competitive. Once, when a Samaritan village refused to accept Jesus, James and John asked Jesus if He wanted them to call down fire from heaven and destroy the village. (Luke 9:54). Another time, they asked Jesus (through their mother) if, in Jesus’ kingdom, they could sit on his right and left. (Matthew 20:20-23).
Yet later, after Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection, and after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they apparently underwent a change. They were still zealous and aggressive. They both risked martyrdom because they refused to stop preaching the Gospel. But there is evidence they had acquired a profound humility.
Church historian Eusebius, writing in the early 300’s A.D. notes that after Jesus’ resurrection, when it came time to pick a leader of the church in Jerusalem, rather than advocate for themselves, James and John recommended James “the Just”, the brother of Jesus, be appointed. In other words, in just a few short years, the brothers who asked to sit on Jesus’ right and left in His kingdom had become so humble they refused to even suggest they be appointed as leader of the local church. It’s change like that, multiplied across peoples and generations that adds up to a changed world. GS
What do you think of when you see Christmas lights?
