Then, last week, I overheard Joyce talking about it on the phone with a daughter. The words that caught my attention were, “Things like that are just not as important to men as they are to us.” Hmmm. I suddenly realized that my hole was more than a simple misstep by me. It was a flaw in the home of the one I treasured most in this world. Furthermore, it was a flaw I caused and should have fixed a long time ago.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Wholly, holy, holey
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Spiritual Priorities
How do we prioritize our spiritual life and bring it into focus? How can we relate that to our ministries as a church?
Proverbs 29:18a, King James Version, says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish. But he that keepeth the law, happy is he” The New Living Translation says, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” This verse describes the need for focus with the word of God as our priority.
I would say that our first concerns should be the things that define us as Christians. What is our relationship to Jesus Christ? Do we read and obey His Word? Do we pray? Do we fellowship with believers? Do we tell others about Him as a witness?
My second group of concerns would be the things that define me as a member of this church. Do I attend? Do I contribute? What is my ministry? Am I doing my part in making the vision of this church a reality? With what group, or Sunday school class, do I fellowship?
My third group of concerns would be very simple. What else can we do to lift up Jesus and make worship a more meaningful experience for everyone?
I am sure many of us would have different lists, or word them differently. I would like to know what you think. How would you prioritize the ministries of your church? How would you prioritize your spiritual life? Email me at dr_robin@fbcgentry.org, or drop off your thoughts at the office.
At the Southern Baptist Convention a question was asked about a kind of theological triage to sort out issues under discussion. (search “triage” at almohler.com). The idea was suggested that primary issues identify us as Christians, secondary issues identify us as Baptists, and tertiary issues can be discussed and disagreed on without disrupting the fellowship. This rating scale for issues got me thinking about how we prioritize our Church ministries, and our own spiritual lives.
In keeping with the above rambling thoughts, how would you perform spiritual triage on your church? How would you perform spiritual triage on yourself?
Bro. Robin
Proverbs 29:18a, King James Version, says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish. But he that keepeth the law, happy is he” The New Living Translation says, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” This verse describes the need for focus with the word of God as our priority.
I would say that our first concerns should be the things that define us as Christians. What is our relationship to Jesus Christ? Do we read and obey His Word? Do we pray? Do we fellowship with believers? Do we tell others about Him as a witness?
My second group of concerns would be the things that define me as a member of this church. Do I attend? Do I contribute? What is my ministry? Am I doing my part in making the vision of this church a reality? With what group, or Sunday school class, do I fellowship?
My third group of concerns would be very simple. What else can we do to lift up Jesus and make worship a more meaningful experience for everyone?
I am sure many of us would have different lists, or word them differently. I would like to know what you think. How would you prioritize the ministries of your church? How would you prioritize your spiritual life? Email me at dr_robin@fbcgentry.org, or drop off your thoughts at the office.
At the Southern Baptist Convention a question was asked about a kind of theological triage to sort out issues under discussion. (search “triage” at almohler.com). The idea was suggested that primary issues identify us as Christians, secondary issues identify us as Baptists, and tertiary issues can be discussed and disagreed on without disrupting the fellowship. This rating scale for issues got me thinking about how we prioritize our Church ministries, and our own spiritual lives.
In keeping with the above rambling thoughts, how would you perform spiritual triage on your church? How would you perform spiritual triage on yourself?
Bro. Robin
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Unity and Agreement
The Southern Baptist Convention is wrapping up its work in San Antonio
The most important decision so far has been a strong affirmation of the Baptist Faith and Message, our doctrinal statement of faith. This statement on the BF&M was adopted earlier this year by our executive committee and reads as follows:
"The Baptist Faith and Message is neither a creed, nor a complete statement of our faith, nor final and infallible; nevertheless, we further acknowledge that it is the only consensus statement of doctrinal beliefs approved by the Southern Baptist Convention and such is sufficient in its current form to guide trustees in their establishment of policies and practices of entities of the Convention."
This statement does several things. First it says the BF&M is good enough as it is and we don’t need to add to it to please every little group that comes along. The statement also says something about who we are as a Convention. We are a collection of autonomous churches who have agreed to cooperate for the sake of missions and for the gospel. An important part of our cooperation is our agreement on the most important doctrines. That is the purpose of the BF&M. Beyond that we realize that there will never be an end to what we can disagree on. But we all agree that the Gospel is the main thing, and we need to keep it that way.
Unity and agreement are not the same things. Jesus calls us to unity. Together we will be victorious, but division is defeat. Agreement, total agreement anyway, is an impossible dream. I once heard that for every two people there are at least three opinions. With the love of Jesus comes respect and with respect comes unity. We can work together without having to be carbon copies of each other.
Besides, if we were all alike, wouldn’t that be boring? Read Psalm 2:4
Bro. Robin
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Empty Nest
The big wedding day has come and gone and Joyce and I are finally getting rested up. We appreciate so much this church and all the people who helped with, and attended, the wedding. We are blessed with the choices our children have made as we see our family grow.
Someone decorated my truck, as our attention was on the newlyweds, with the words, “Empty Nest,” and, “Free at Last.” I understand the sentiment of both expressions but see them both as misnomers.
All of the kids have been out of the house for several years, counting college, work, and marriages. So the nest is only empty part of the time. When they are all away it is quiet but Joyce and I have learned to enjoy the time together. When they are here the nest has never been fuller, and gets fuller with every passing year. Now there are grandchildren to enlarge the nest. What I always heard is true. They are more fun than their parents were. But their parents also seem to be more fun now. So maybe we have gotten better too.
I also would not say we are free at last. Every stage of life brings new responsibilities and blessings. Our relationships with our families change like seasons with the seasons of our lives. There is a touch of sadness when we do not get to see them as often as we would like. Our children are scattered all across the country living their own lives. But that is what we raised them to do. At some point the fruit leaves the tree, is planted, and grows into its own tree. There is also a joyful satisfaction as we see our children grow into their own persons.
There comes a time when we all say goodbye to our childhood and become adults. I have discovered that adulthood has many major shifts as well. We can try to hold on to the past, but the past does not cooperate well with that approach. Or, we can embrace each new turn in the journey of life as an adventure. I prefer the adventure.
Bro. Robin
1 Corinthians 13:11-13
Someone decorated my truck, as our attention was on the newlyweds, with the words, “Empty Nest,” and, “Free at Last.” I understand the sentiment of both expressions but see them both as misnomers.
All of the kids have been out of the house for several years, counting college, work, and marriages. So the nest is only empty part of the time. When they are all away it is quiet but Joyce and I have learned to enjoy the time together. When they are here the nest has never been fuller, and gets fuller with every passing year. Now there are grandchildren to enlarge the nest. What I always heard is true. They are more fun than their parents were. But their parents also seem to be more fun now. So maybe we have gotten better too.
I also would not say we are free at last. Every stage of life brings new responsibilities and blessings. Our relationships with our families change like seasons with the seasons of our lives. There is a touch of sadness when we do not get to see them as often as we would like. Our children are scattered all across the country living their own lives. But that is what we raised them to do. At some point the fruit leaves the tree, is planted, and grows into its own tree. There is also a joyful satisfaction as we see our children grow into their own persons.
There comes a time when we all say goodbye to our childhood and become adults. I have discovered that adulthood has many major shifts as well. We can try to hold on to the past, but the past does not cooperate well with that approach. Or, we can embrace each new turn in the journey of life as an adventure. I prefer the adventure.
Bro. Robin
1 Corinthians 13:11-13
Blossoms and Fruit
The ice is finally over, we hope, and things are beginning to bloom, again. The rain we have been seeing lately has brought out green growth everywhere. Spring is here and it is a joy to see things bloom and grow. It is no different in the church than it is outside.
I see blossoms of children as I look at plans under way for the summer children’s’ program and children’s camp. It is always a joy to see so many children here two days a week all summer as they go on activities, learn about Jesus, and have fun together.
I see sprouts of youth getting ready for leadership training, the Iowa Mission Trip, and Youth Camp. We will see our leaders shine and all of the youth grow in ways that will bless us all, and maybe even surprise themselves a little.
I see the fruit of missions setting on as the Bahamas Mission Crew starts training to sail. We will be doing Vacation Bible School and Sports Evangelism for two days each at two different locations in the Bahamas. We will also be doing market place evangelism, holding beach services, and crewing our own boat, (with the help of Captain Steve). Pray for us as we take 18 members on this unique mission trip.
I also see the garden being tended by a helpful group of servants as many of you take time to serve the Lord this summer. There will be projects with the Outdoor Ministry, Building and Grounds Ministry, and many others with opportunities for everyone to serve, have fun, and fellowship together in the Lord.
One big building project will be the remodeling of the Gates house for offices. We are already in it but a lot of work still needs to be done. We also need to raise around $20,000 for the project. We need your help. Give generously of your time and resources and let’s make this the best summer ever at First Baptist Church, Gentry.
Bro. Robin
I see blossoms of children as I look at plans under way for the summer children’s’ program and children’s camp. It is always a joy to see so many children here two days a week all summer as they go on activities, learn about Jesus, and have fun together.
I see sprouts of youth getting ready for leadership training, the Iowa Mission Trip, and Youth Camp. We will see our leaders shine and all of the youth grow in ways that will bless us all, and maybe even surprise themselves a little.
I see the fruit of missions setting on as the Bahamas Mission Crew starts training to sail. We will be doing Vacation Bible School and Sports Evangelism for two days each at two different locations in the Bahamas. We will also be doing market place evangelism, holding beach services, and crewing our own boat, (with the help of Captain Steve). Pray for us as we take 18 members on this unique mission trip.
I also see the garden being tended by a helpful group of servants as many of you take time to serve the Lord this summer. There will be projects with the Outdoor Ministry, Building and Grounds Ministry, and many others with opportunities for everyone to serve, have fun, and fellowship together in the Lord.
One big building project will be the remodeling of the Gates house for offices. We are already in it but a lot of work still needs to be done. We also need to raise around $20,000 for the project. We need your help. Give generously of your time and resources and let’s make this the best summer ever at First Baptist Church, Gentry.
Bro. Robin
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Cold Snap
It is amazing what a little cold weather can do. I was really enjoying this spring. All the flowers and trees were budding out. The leaves on my Japanese Maple were really looking like this would be the year for it to come into its own. Then the cold came. Like many of you, I covered as much as I could with drop cloths and sheets, night after night. But it was just too cold too long. That which started out beautiful is now wilted.
The experts I read and hear are saying that we should wait and see what the plants will do. The damage is done and trimming or feeding the plants could cause more damage. It is sad but there are limits to what we as humans have control over. When we reach those limits we have to let God do what God can do.
I thought about our spiritual lives and how this cold snap relates to us. We too can be doing so well in our Christian walk and one cold incident can set us back. It can be something outside our control like an illness or tragedy, or something to someone close to us. It can be a lapse in our behavior, giving in to temptation, anger, or some other bad habit of the flesh. Like the cold weather on the plants it can take the glow of Christ off our faces, drag us down, and lead to something worse if we do not take important precautions.
What can we do? We can cover ourselves against the cold just like the plants. Instead of drop cloths and sheet we cover ourselves with prayer and bible reading everyday. If the cold lingers we need to get to church for worship and fellowship. We then need to apply these coverings in the way that God directs for each of us. He has a plan that puts us in the center of God’s purpose and will.
Cold winds blow, on plants and people. That is why Paul said, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)
Dr. Robin
The experts I read and hear are saying that we should wait and see what the plants will do. The damage is done and trimming or feeding the plants could cause more damage. It is sad but there are limits to what we as humans have control over. When we reach those limits we have to let God do what God can do.
I thought about our spiritual lives and how this cold snap relates to us. We too can be doing so well in our Christian walk and one cold incident can set us back. It can be something outside our control like an illness or tragedy, or something to someone close to us. It can be a lapse in our behavior, giving in to temptation, anger, or some other bad habit of the flesh. Like the cold weather on the plants it can take the glow of Christ off our faces, drag us down, and lead to something worse if we do not take important precautions.
What can we do? We can cover ourselves against the cold just like the plants. Instead of drop cloths and sheet we cover ourselves with prayer and bible reading everyday. If the cold lingers we need to get to church for worship and fellowship. We then need to apply these coverings in the way that God directs for each of us. He has a plan that puts us in the center of God’s purpose and will.
Cold winds blow, on plants and people. That is why Paul said, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)
Dr. Robin
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Do Overs!
In the summer time my neighbor had a basketball goal. I was never very good one on one playing basketball; he was taller and had more reach. But I could shoot good enough to keep up playing “horse.” We took turns shooting and trying to duplicate each other’s shot and when one missed the other got a point and could choose the next shot. Sometimes the game got intense and we resorted to more creative measures to get the other to miss. So, we had to come up with some rules. You could not actually touch the player who was shooting or directly interfere with the shot. If you did the player was allowed a “do over.” He got to do it over again.
It would be nice if everything in life allowed for a “do over” when we make a mistake or someone interferes with us. We could have made better grades in school. We would all have started saving money earlier. We would have no regrets about anything. It could all be fixed with a “do over.”
God has given us the next best thing to a “do over.” He provided a way for us to be forgiven for all our sins, through faith in Jesus, and start our life at a fresh new point as if the past had never happened. It is not a total “do over” in the sense that we cannot go back and fix things and still have to live with the physical consequences of some of our mistakes. But it is as close as we can get from God’s perspective. He forgets our mistakes and His memory is the one that counts in eternity.
Spring represents God’s attitude about life. Every year the earth gets a fresh start. This new start has to build on the growth and decay of previous years. But that can also be a good thing when we allow God to do the building. He is the master designer. If He can build a universe out of nothing He can build a life for you out of what you have so far.
That is what it really means when Paul says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love the God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Is it time for a “do over” in your life?
Dr. Robin
It would be nice if everything in life allowed for a “do over” when we make a mistake or someone interferes with us. We could have made better grades in school. We would all have started saving money earlier. We would have no regrets about anything. It could all be fixed with a “do over.”
God has given us the next best thing to a “do over.” He provided a way for us to be forgiven for all our sins, through faith in Jesus, and start our life at a fresh new point as if the past had never happened. It is not a total “do over” in the sense that we cannot go back and fix things and still have to live with the physical consequences of some of our mistakes. But it is as close as we can get from God’s perspective. He forgets our mistakes and His memory is the one that counts in eternity.
Spring represents God’s attitude about life. Every year the earth gets a fresh start. This new start has to build on the growth and decay of previous years. But that can also be a good thing when we allow God to do the building. He is the master designer. If He can build a universe out of nothing He can build a life for you out of what you have so far.
That is what it really means when Paul says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love the God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Is it time for a “do over” in your life?
Dr. Robin
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The Wise, Children, and Secret Knowledge
One Wednesday night at Bible Study we were discussing a question about a passage. As I was answering a question I remarked that I could give the historical background but that I would not do that this time and go for the simple answer instead. One of the younger participants said loudly, “Good.” When everyone laughed, she laughed too, and said, “Well, you know ten times more useless information than anyone I know.” I had to laugh at myself. Sometimes I get so caught up in the details I lose sight of the question and make the answer more complicated than it should be.
When I study something I want to know all sides and details. But many of those details are just that, details. The Bible is written so that the basic truths can be understood by anyone. No special education, or secret knowledge, is required. We can all read God’s Word for ourselves.
In Luke 10:22, (and Matthew 11:25), Jesus says, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.”
This verse got me thinking. There are many more times in Jesus ministry where He rejected the “wise” men of His day. He preferred the more obvious approach, the kind that was so obvious a child could get it. That is why His story translates so well. Basic truths do not need hidden meanings.
That does not mean education is totally unimportant. Knowing the languages of the Bible, for example, can help us clarify the meaning of scripture. Difficult passages can become easier to understand with a little study. There are passages with deeper meaning that can raise the level of our knowledge of God. But a deeper understanding of scripture should make the meaning clearer, simpler, and more practical, not point us in a different direction from basic truth.
His Word says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” (Heb. 13:8), and “‘But the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” (1 Pet. 1:25)
God’s Word is for you today, all of it. Read His Word for all its worth.
Bro. Robin
When I study something I want to know all sides and details. But many of those details are just that, details. The Bible is written so that the basic truths can be understood by anyone. No special education, or secret knowledge, is required. We can all read God’s Word for ourselves.
In Luke 10:22, (and Matthew 11:25), Jesus says, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.”
This verse got me thinking. There are many more times in Jesus ministry where He rejected the “wise” men of His day. He preferred the more obvious approach, the kind that was so obvious a child could get it. That is why His story translates so well. Basic truths do not need hidden meanings.
That does not mean education is totally unimportant. Knowing the languages of the Bible, for example, can help us clarify the meaning of scripture. Difficult passages can become easier to understand with a little study. There are passages with deeper meaning that can raise the level of our knowledge of God. But a deeper understanding of scripture should make the meaning clearer, simpler, and more practical, not point us in a different direction from basic truth.
His Word says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” (Heb. 13:8), and “‘But the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” (1 Pet. 1:25)
God’s Word is for you today, all of it. Read His Word for all its worth.
Bro. Robin
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
When the power goes off
With the recent ice and snow storms we found ourselves staying in a little more and appreciating simple things. We take for granted things like electricity, light, heat, the ability to cook, and the things we have come to depend on for entertainment. Hearing from others I found a variety of reactions.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Why I am a Southern Baptist
We would visit other churches for weeks, sometimes months at a time, to see for ourselves what they really believed and practiced. The churches we visited like this included United Pentecostal, with our neighbor, Assembly of God, Nazarene, Holiness,
In College I continued to visit around. I became friends with a born again Catholic layman, Ralph Flori, who became a mentor and friend. I also came to know and respect the Baptist Student Center Director, Dr. Thomas Messer. These two men helped me understand God’s call on my life and how that could best be realized as a Southern Baptist. (Years later Ralph and I renewed contact with each other online and he shared with me how he eventually left the Catholic Church to become a Baptist!) During those years I made the decision to be a Baptist, by choice. My senior year I fell in love with a Baptist girl and became the interim pastor at
I made the decision to be a Baptist by choice for several reasons that are still very important to me. I want to mention just three of them.
First, I chose to be a Southern Baptist because our claim to be a people of the book, the Bible, is more than a claim, it is a way of life. We read the Bible, study the Bible, teach the Bible, and practice the Bible with an open heart and mind more than any other group I have experienced. I speak comparatively here. I remember a Sunday School mission statement that read, “Teach the Bible to win the lost and encourage the saved.”
We are unyielding on primary doctrines and for most of my life we have allowed discussion at the table on secondary doctrines. One concern that drove me away from other denominations back to the Baptists was that most other denominations have made one interpretation of secondary issues into a primary doctrine. We need to stay on our guard against that.
Second, I chose to be a Southern Baptist because we believe in the Grace of Jesus Christ and the power of God to save. We believe in being soul-winners. We may not all go about it the same way. But, the main thing is still the main thing.
Third, I chose to be a Southern Baptist because we have found a way to support missionaries and missions that far outdoes everyone else. We pool our resources in the Cooperative Program which allows every church, big and small, to share in the greater work of the Kingdom. Our missionaries can focus on bringing salvation to the lost while they are on the field and sharing testimonies to inspire us when they come home. We do missions right.
Baptists are like any other group of people. We do not agree all the time on everything. We would not be Baptists if we did. However, we do agree on the most important things. Sometimes we drift into faulty areas and need a correction. Sometimes the correction drifts too far. Correction needs to be exercised with a heavy dose of wisdom. I still believe being a Southern Baptist is the best choice, until Jesus comes back.
Friday, January 12, 2007
All and None
A smart man I once knew told me, “All generalities are false,” and then laughed. The statement is funny, of course, because it too is a generality. We make a mistake in logic when we use generalities to prove an argument. The statement itself assumes that the speaker is an expert of omniscient proportions, or else he thinks you are an idiot. It can also mean the speaker is the idiot and has no clue what he is talking about.
That is what I love about the current debate over private prayer language. The articles I have read so far are laughable if not heretical. I mean laughable in the way a crazy man laughs when he realizes the rest of the world is never going to get what is going on in his mind, and he is suddenly ok with that.
The cessationists look at all tongues alike. To them, all tongue-speakers are Pentecostal/Charismatics and embrace Pentecostal/Charismatic theology, as if they all agreed and had a common theology. (Start with GeoffBaggett.wordpress.com - Geoff does a good job explaining this point of view, his blog is worth reading even if you don't agree with him) Wow. And… all Baptists are alike and embrace Baptist Theology. Sure we are.
I remember hearing Herschel Hobbs say, “You can always tell a Baptist, you just can't tell him much.” Look at any index of denominations and you will find quite a variety, including a variety of Baptists. We seem to be winning the world for Christ with the old military strategy of Divide and Conquer, only we are doing all the dividing. Instead of the Body of Christ we have become the Amoeba of Christ. I do not think that is what Jesus meant for us to become.
I also enjoy reading some continualist bloggers who suggest that cessationists just need to keep an open mind, as if this debate is winnable. Who are you kidding? It is about as winnable as the debate between Sunnis and Shiites, which has been going on since the 600s with no end in sight. Let’s get real here for a moment. Sometimes people get so committed to a side in an issue there is no reasoning. It is part of our nature. It is why we have different political parties, and different denominations. It’s ok. Jesus will one day sort it all out. There are some things we cannot fix ourselves. Of course, that does not mean we should not try. I commend the attempts. I just have my doubts.
The problem with the PPL debate is that we are not speaking the same language, (pun intended). Both sides have defined their terminology in a way that proves their point. There is no common ground for discussion. The cessationists cannot comprehend that the Theology of Baptists who use PPL is radically different, in most cases, from that of Classical Pentecostalism, (which is also different from Charismatic Theology, etc.). WE have allowed this to happen. But the point is, we cannot discuss intelligently a topic that we are approaching from radically different sets of assumptions.
We are not all alike. Calm down. It’s ok. Jesus sees us. Seize us Jesus.
Dr. Robin
That is what I love about the current debate over private prayer language. The articles I have read so far are laughable if not heretical. I mean laughable in the way a crazy man laughs when he realizes the rest of the world is never going to get what is going on in his mind, and he is suddenly ok with that.
The cessationists look at all tongues alike. To them, all tongue-speakers are Pentecostal/Charismatics and embrace Pentecostal/Charismatic theology, as if they all agreed and had a common theology. (Start with GeoffBaggett.wordpress.com - Geoff does a good job explaining this point of view, his blog is worth reading even if you don't agree with him) Wow. And… all Baptists are alike and embrace Baptist Theology. Sure we are.
I remember hearing Herschel Hobbs say, “You can always tell a Baptist, you just can't tell him much.” Look at any index of denominations and you will find quite a variety, including a variety of Baptists. We seem to be winning the world for Christ with the old military strategy of Divide and Conquer, only we are doing all the dividing. Instead of the Body of Christ we have become the Amoeba of Christ. I do not think that is what Jesus meant for us to become.
I also enjoy reading some continualist bloggers who suggest that cessationists just need to keep an open mind, as if this debate is winnable. Who are you kidding? It is about as winnable as the debate between Sunnis and Shiites, which has been going on since the 600s with no end in sight. Let’s get real here for a moment. Sometimes people get so committed to a side in an issue there is no reasoning. It is part of our nature. It is why we have different political parties, and different denominations. It’s ok. Jesus will one day sort it all out. There are some things we cannot fix ourselves. Of course, that does not mean we should not try. I commend the attempts. I just have my doubts.
The problem with the PPL debate is that we are not speaking the same language, (pun intended). Both sides have defined their terminology in a way that proves their point. There is no common ground for discussion. The cessationists cannot comprehend that the Theology of Baptists who use PPL is radically different, in most cases, from that of Classical Pentecostalism, (which is also different from Charismatic Theology, etc.). WE have allowed this to happen. But the point is, we cannot discuss intelligently a topic that we are approaching from radically different sets of assumptions.
We are not all alike. Calm down. It’s ok. Jesus sees us. Seize us Jesus.
Dr. Robin
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
What's in Your Wallet?
What’s in Your Wallet?
That is the catch phrase for a popular credit card ad. It is also a question I have been asking myself post-Christmas. There is certainly little money in mine and the credit cards I have are keeping my wallet warm.
When the kids were small Joyce made me a t-shirt that I keep wearing even though it is starting to wear out. It shows a Papa Bear surrounded by four baby bears. The caption underneath says, “Dad has pictures where money used to be.” I like it because it is not only true but also because I would not have it any other way.
Yes, we budget our money at Christmas and try very hard to stay within it. Yes, I probably spent too much anyway. Yes, it was worth it all. It was worth it all because it was not just spent on presents. I also bought new inflatable beds, and bedding to accommodate more family, and food, lots of food.
Another popular credit card ad lists the cost of an event and then describes the reason for the event as “Priceless.” That is what Christmas is, priceless. The Gift of God’s Son is priceless. The gifts God gives in blessings are also priceless.
It is not about the money but the meaning. It is not about the presents but the presence of Christ. It is not about the food but about our family all together.
What’s in your wallet? There will be some new pictures in mine. And as for the New Year? There are also some new happy memories still echoing in the rooms of our house.
Bro. Robin
That is the catch phrase for a popular credit card ad. It is also a question I have been asking myself post-Christmas. There is certainly little money in mine and the credit cards I have are keeping my wallet warm.
When the kids were small Joyce made me a t-shirt that I keep wearing even though it is starting to wear out. It shows a Papa Bear surrounded by four baby bears. The caption underneath says, “Dad has pictures where money used to be.” I like it because it is not only true but also because I would not have it any other way.
Yes, we budget our money at Christmas and try very hard to stay within it. Yes, I probably spent too much anyway. Yes, it was worth it all. It was worth it all because it was not just spent on presents. I also bought new inflatable beds, and bedding to accommodate more family, and food, lots of food.
Another popular credit card ad lists the cost of an event and then describes the reason for the event as “Priceless.” That is what Christmas is, priceless. The Gift of God’s Son is priceless. The gifts God gives in blessings are also priceless.
It is not about the money but the meaning. It is not about the presents but the presence of Christ. It is not about the food but about our family all together.
What’s in your wallet? There will be some new pictures in mine. And as for the New Year? There are also some new happy memories still echoing in the rooms of our house.
Bro. Robin
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Miracles of Christmas
Christmas is extra special for our family this year. We have seen and felt the touch of God on our lives in so many miraculous ways. He protected our youngest son and brought about a blessed homecoming with his wife. He brought a blessing in a new relationship for our youngest daughter. He is bringing the blessing of new life for our oldest son and his wife. He protected our grandchildren and oldest daughter and son in law through numerous bouts of sickness. Those are just the highlights of personal blessings for Joyce and I that are too numerous to mention. Then there are the blessing through this church of missions and ministries we have both been a part of when God has blessed us through you. It all adds up to a miraculous year in so many ways.
There is much discussion these days about miraculous spiritual gifts. I submit that if there is nothing miraculous then there is no need for religion, especially Christianity.
Everything about Christianity is founded upon miraculous happenings. Prophecies were made over a span of thousands of years that described the details of Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and future return. Just the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning His Birth involve astronomical odds so high that even the greatest skeptics would have to pronounce it miraculous.
What makes something a Miracle? A dictionary defines a miracle as, “An event or action that apparently contradicts known scientific laws and is hence thought to be due to supernatural causes, especially to an act of God.” (Webster’s New World Dictionary) So, events must either be classified as natural, or supernatural, with a supernatural event being a miracle.
There are those people who believe that everything is natural and things that appear supernatural just have yet to be explained. They mostly fit into a philosophy that is prevalent today called secular humanism. I believe the gradual exclusion of the supernatural from Christianity directly corresponds to the gradual growth of secular humanism that at first affected secular society and is now, more and more, affecting the Church.
Without miracles there is no Jesus, no redemption, no being born again or “saved.” Without miracles there is no need for prayer or worship. Without miracles there is no Christmas.
Christmas signals the defining moment in history. The supernatural birth of the Son of God is the focus of all our hope and desire. Yes, there is supernatural power at work on earth and in our lives. There is power in prayer, we see it everyday, there is worth in worship, and all eternity will prove that we are right to follow Jesus.
This Christmas we celebrate answered prayers in our family. God is with us. God be with you and your family in miraculous ways as we celebrate the miracles of Christmas.
Bro. Robin
There is much discussion these days about miraculous spiritual gifts. I submit that if there is nothing miraculous then there is no need for religion, especially Christianity.
Everything about Christianity is founded upon miraculous happenings. Prophecies were made over a span of thousands of years that described the details of Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and future return. Just the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning His Birth involve astronomical odds so high that even the greatest skeptics would have to pronounce it miraculous.
What makes something a Miracle? A dictionary defines a miracle as, “An event or action that apparently contradicts known scientific laws and is hence thought to be due to supernatural causes, especially to an act of God.” (Webster’s New World Dictionary) So, events must either be classified as natural, or supernatural, with a supernatural event being a miracle.
There are those people who believe that everything is natural and things that appear supernatural just have yet to be explained. They mostly fit into a philosophy that is prevalent today called secular humanism. I believe the gradual exclusion of the supernatural from Christianity directly corresponds to the gradual growth of secular humanism that at first affected secular society and is now, more and more, affecting the Church.
Without miracles there is no Jesus, no redemption, no being born again or “saved.” Without miracles there is no need for prayer or worship. Without miracles there is no Christmas.
Christmas signals the defining moment in history. The supernatural birth of the Son of God is the focus of all our hope and desire. Yes, there is supernatural power at work on earth and in our lives. There is power in prayer, we see it everyday, there is worth in worship, and all eternity will prove that we are right to follow Jesus.
This Christmas we celebrate answered prayers in our family. God is with us. God be with you and your family in miraculous ways as we celebrate the miracles of Christmas.
Bro. Robin
Friday, October 27, 2006
Fall's Variety of Blessings
Driving north to see our grandkids we passed through some of the most beautiful country. We have passed that way many times before and hardly noticed the scenery. But this time was different. This time the trees had changed their colors from green to an endless variety of bright fall colors. God must certainly delight in color and in variety.
November is the month for Thanksgiving. I am thankful for God’s endless variety of blessings. He wants us all to be one with Him but after that He wants to change us into many different shades. He sees us all as unique individuals and He has a unique purpose for us all.
We may not see all His blessing the same. In fact, some of them we may not see as blessings at all, in the beginning. God is our redeemer. He takes us as we are and makes us what He wants us to become. We are always somewhere in the middle of the process, not what we were, but not what we will be. He can take any circumstance in our lives an turn them into blessings. So, we should be thankful for it all. Be thankful for the blessing we know are blessings. And, be thankful for the situations God is molding into blessings.
Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (NKJV Php 4:11-13).
Bro. Robin
November is the month for Thanksgiving. I am thankful for God’s endless variety of blessings. He wants us all to be one with Him but after that He wants to change us into many different shades. He sees us all as unique individuals and He has a unique purpose for us all.
We may not see all His blessing the same. In fact, some of them we may not see as blessings at all, in the beginning. God is our redeemer. He takes us as we are and makes us what He wants us to become. We are always somewhere in the middle of the process, not what we were, but not what we will be. He can take any circumstance in our lives an turn them into blessings. So, we should be thankful for it all. Be thankful for the blessing we know are blessings. And, be thankful for the situations God is molding into blessings.
Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (NKJV Php 4:11-13).
Bro. Robin
Wal-Mart and the AFA
Recently I have received several copies of a report from the American Family Association (AFA) concerning Wal-Mart’s supposed connection to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. I went to the web-site for the AFA and read all the dirty details. However, I did not find any mention of the fact that the woman who served as Wal-mart’s liaison with the NGLCC was fired last week for another reason, but with mention of the mounting pressure by conservatives on this issue in the press release. I also found no mention of their many donations to Christian causes or their relief work in the wake of recent hurricanes, and other disasters.
I am against homosexuality. I believe the AFA does Christians a great service balancing extreme secular humanism of today’s society with extreme Christian values. But we need to be honest by being complete in our reporting. A gap in our honesty will only lead to a gap in our credibility. I believe it already has.
Wal-Mart is a business like, shall I say it, Disney. They are not Christian, although they hire many Christians and many of their values are family focused as are Christian values. They also hire homosexuals, Moslems, Hindus, etc, etc, etc. So?
The issue at hand is no different than Paul had to deal with in Romans 14. Do we eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols? In Paul’s day it was an important issue. Poor Christians had to buy their meat from vendors below the pagan temples. The meat sold there had just come from a pagan altar. Some new Christians still had the fresh memory of offering an animal on one of those altars and then buying the meat of their sacrifice in honor of the (false) god. It was a cause of stumbling for some but for others meat was meat.
There were also some who had trouble giving up Saturday Sabbath in favor of Sunday Worship, which is still an issue for many of our neighbors. But to Paul, and more mature Christians, every day belongs to God and we should be thankful to God for every meal that is given by Him. He said, “For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17, nkjv)
I preach against homosexuality, among other sins. I also hope some will come to our church, hear the message, turn from that lifestyle and embrace the hope only Jesus can give. We are all sinners saved by grace, no more, no less.
We could boycott and separate ourselves from everything we disagree with. If we did, we might as well join the Amish and shun all of modern society. After witnessing the true Christian heart of the Amish in the wake of recent events, maybe that is not such a bad idea.
Bro. Robin
Aa a postscript, I noticed at the bottom of the email an invitation to accompany AFA on an 11 day tour of Switzerland and Italy. I checked it out on the website and found that the tour was only $3232.00. That is just a few dollars more than our last 14 day mission to Malawi, where we led hundreds of people to Jesus. Just a thought.
I am against homosexuality. I believe the AFA does Christians a great service balancing extreme secular humanism of today’s society with extreme Christian values. But we need to be honest by being complete in our reporting. A gap in our honesty will only lead to a gap in our credibility. I believe it already has.
Wal-Mart is a business like, shall I say it, Disney. They are not Christian, although they hire many Christians and many of their values are family focused as are Christian values. They also hire homosexuals, Moslems, Hindus, etc, etc, etc. So?
The issue at hand is no different than Paul had to deal with in Romans 14. Do we eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols? In Paul’s day it was an important issue. Poor Christians had to buy their meat from vendors below the pagan temples. The meat sold there had just come from a pagan altar. Some new Christians still had the fresh memory of offering an animal on one of those altars and then buying the meat of their sacrifice in honor of the (false) god. It was a cause of stumbling for some but for others meat was meat.
There were also some who had trouble giving up Saturday Sabbath in favor of Sunday Worship, which is still an issue for many of our neighbors. But to Paul, and more mature Christians, every day belongs to God and we should be thankful to God for every meal that is given by Him. He said, “For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17, nkjv)
I preach against homosexuality, among other sins. I also hope some will come to our church, hear the message, turn from that lifestyle and embrace the hope only Jesus can give. We are all sinners saved by grace, no more, no less.
We could boycott and separate ourselves from everything we disagree with. If we did, we might as well join the Amish and shun all of modern society. After witnessing the true Christian heart of the Amish in the wake of recent events, maybe that is not such a bad idea.
Bro. Robin
Aa a postscript, I noticed at the bottom of the email an invitation to accompany AFA on an 11 day tour of Switzerland and Italy. I checked it out on the website and found that the tour was only $3232.00. That is just a few dollars more than our last 14 day mission to Malawi, where we led hundreds of people to Jesus. Just a thought.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Children of the Con-vention
I am not in the habit of disciplining other people’s children. I am tempted, often. When I do my children’s message during the early part of the service kids often act up. Usually they can be dealt with in a kind manner. If fact, I have been known to use humor and work interruptions into the message. But occasionally I am confronted by the repeat offender, on a bad day, and the temptation to reach out and touch someone rises close to the surface, but not quite.
Christians are not immune from the human desire to sit in judgment of each other. Politics are politics, whether they are secular are religious. Our differences make us interesting. During times of controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention I never missed a convention. Then I got involved in short term missions and decided my money was better spent going overseas to win people to Jesus and help local pastors develop new churches.
This year a controversy has risen over some new rules at the International Mission Board. Both of the new rules involve issues I thought were decided and dismissed a long time ago. The SBC is interesting again but I am still not convinced that it is worth spending the money to attend. Last year I really wanted to go to the SBC. The controversy included someone at the board whom I knew personally to be a man of integrity, and whose integrity was being questioned simply because he thought we already had enough rules for new missionaries. I agreed with him and wanted to go and support him.
I already had a commitment to lead a group to Malawi, Africa. So, instead of attending the debates, where nothing more was actually decided, our group of fifteen led over 600 to faith in Christ, baptized 20, started a new preaching point, and trained around 200 to be soul winners and leaders in local churches. I think I made the right decision.
I think God is big enough to discipline His own children. We just need to reach more of them. John 1:12
Dr. Robin
Christians are not immune from the human desire to sit in judgment of each other. Politics are politics, whether they are secular are religious. Our differences make us interesting. During times of controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention I never missed a convention. Then I got involved in short term missions and decided my money was better spent going overseas to win people to Jesus and help local pastors develop new churches.
This year a controversy has risen over some new rules at the International Mission Board. Both of the new rules involve issues I thought were decided and dismissed a long time ago. The SBC is interesting again but I am still not convinced that it is worth spending the money to attend. Last year I really wanted to go to the SBC. The controversy included someone at the board whom I knew personally to be a man of integrity, and whose integrity was being questioned simply because he thought we already had enough rules for new missionaries. I agreed with him and wanted to go and support him.
I already had a commitment to lead a group to Malawi, Africa. So, instead of attending the debates, where nothing more was actually decided, our group of fifteen led over 600 to faith in Christ, baptized 20, started a new preaching point, and trained around 200 to be soul winners and leaders in local churches. I think I made the right decision.
I think God is big enough to discipline His own children. We just need to reach more of them. John 1:12
Dr. Robin
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Deleted
I bought a new cell phone recently. I wanted to be able to keep everything in one place. So, I found one that had all the functions of my PDA, calendar and contacts, plus email. It also works as a phone.
I had a little trouble, at first, getting the email to work. It came with a program that linked to my computer at home. I thought that was great. I could keep up with all my information and it would give me the last 25 emails that I received at home. I have my home computer set to pick up email on several accounts, including my Church account. I also get some spam and junk mail.
I was out of town and had some time on my hands so I thought I would trouble shoot my phone to see if I could get everything working. Soon I had it figured out and was excited to see my emails coming into my phone. I looked them over and decided that I did not want to carry them all around with me so I started deleting them. Shortly after I deleted most of them I noticed that other, older emails, had taken the place of the delted ones always leaving me with 25 emails. I deleted another bunch and soon they to were replaced by older emails. I tried it again and it happened again. Then I got tired of that and went to bed.
When I got home the next day one of the first things my wife told me was that the email program had gone crazy while I was gone. Almost all of our recent emails had mysteriously disappeared. I thought to myself, "oops." Some of the emails were important and I had apparently deleted them at home when I deleted them on my phone.
I went to the computer and checked the trash can. My daughter then told me that she had closed the email program while I was gone and it had asked her if she was sure about emptying the trash can on exit and she had clicked, "yes." Double "oops."
I had a backup on another computer so all was not lost. The experience got me to thinking, though. Sin is a lot like those emails. When I pray down here on earth and ask God to forgive me He not only forgives me here but He also deletes them from my record in Heaven. He takes my sins as far away as the east is from the west, (Psalm 103:12). His forgiveness, through Jesus Christ, is complete. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Dr. Robin
I had a little trouble, at first, getting the email to work. It came with a program that linked to my computer at home. I thought that was great. I could keep up with all my information and it would give me the last 25 emails that I received at home. I have my home computer set to pick up email on several accounts, including my Church account. I also get some spam and junk mail.
I was out of town and had some time on my hands so I thought I would trouble shoot my phone to see if I could get everything working. Soon I had it figured out and was excited to see my emails coming into my phone. I looked them over and decided that I did not want to carry them all around with me so I started deleting them. Shortly after I deleted most of them I noticed that other, older emails, had taken the place of the delted ones always leaving me with 25 emails. I deleted another bunch and soon they to were replaced by older emails. I tried it again and it happened again. Then I got tired of that and went to bed.
When I got home the next day one of the first things my wife told me was that the email program had gone crazy while I was gone. Almost all of our recent emails had mysteriously disappeared. I thought to myself, "oops." Some of the emails were important and I had apparently deleted them at home when I deleted them on my phone.
I went to the computer and checked the trash can. My daughter then told me that she had closed the email program while I was gone and it had asked her if she was sure about emptying the trash can on exit and she had clicked, "yes." Double "oops."
I had a backup on another computer so all was not lost. The experience got me to thinking, though. Sin is a lot like those emails. When I pray down here on earth and ask God to forgive me He not only forgives me here but He also deletes them from my record in Heaven. He takes my sins as far away as the east is from the west, (Psalm 103:12). His forgiveness, through Jesus Christ, is complete. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Dr. Robin
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Learning to FISH
Learning to FISH
Leading People to Christ
Robin H. Cowin DMin.
There are already many good plans available for leading a person to Christ. But, while many of them do a good job training a person how to initiate a soul-winning conversation most of them fall short in leading a person in the Salvation Prayer.
Training groups to go on mission trips where the primary focus is leading new believers to Christ has opened my eyes to this critical need in our training. Many times we are faced with leading a person to Christ who has never prayed before and knows little or nothing about prayer.
Most of us in American churches have grown up with Church concepts, such as prayer, and assume everyone knows what we are talking about. We have worked hard to remove church language from our witnessing vocabulary, realizing that many of the people we witness to are not familiar with that terminology. But when we get to the most important part of a witnessing encounter, the part where we ask the person to pray and receive Christ, we fail to explain what that is, why that is important, or how to do it. This is something we can fix if we just cover it in our training in an affective way.
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4:19 NKJV) Jesus calls us to be Fishers of Men. We just need to learn how to fish.
FISH training divides a witnessing encounter into four main components: Friendly conversation, Introduce Jesus, Salvation prayer, and Heart questions. Each part includes options that can be modified to fit your style. It is designed to work with almost any plan of salvation you may already be using. The purpose of FISH is to equip you with one more tool that will make you more confident as a witness. I have included parts of several plans that I like to use in order to make this a complete training process.
Friendly Conversation: Here is a simple outline you can use as you deem appropriate. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV)
Break the ICE: Introductions, Conversation, Exploring questions.
1. Introductions. Say hello, exchange greetings. If you are using a translator try to learn basic introductions in the native language. Give your name, where you are from, and the purpose of your visit. Allow the translator to introduce himself/herself and the church you are working with.
2. Conversation. Make a little small talk, just to be friendly. People always enjoy talking about themselves, so ask about family, interests, job, etc., and identify, if possible, by talking about your own family, etc., where appropriate. Do not talk more than them. Make them feel at ease with your presence. Also do not spend too much time here, especially if you are working through a translator.
3. Exploring questions. Several plans have good questions that transition to the gospel presentation. I like them all, and they have all been used in so many different presentations that we have forgotten who said it first. My personal favorites are the series of questions given in “How Can I Share My Faith Without an Argument?” by Bill Fay. (Booklet available from RBC Ministries, www.rbc.net)
1. Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
2. To you, who is Jesus?
3. Do you think there is a heaven and a hell?
4. If you died right now where would you go?
5. If what you believe were not true, would you want to know?
Introduce Jesus: Using your Testimony: “May I tell you about my life-changing experience?”
Your personal testimony can be your most effective witnessing tool. If you can effectively tell someone how you became a Christian you are giving them all the information they need to make the same decision. Your testimony needs to be well organized, scriptural, and concise. You can weave scripture into the components of your testimony and use it as your plan for leading a person to Christ. Your testimony can also be an introduction into the scripture plan you use.
There are four basic components to a witnessing testimony. If you are using this as an introduction to your plan, what you are going to say should fit in the spaces provided below.
A common mistake for experienced Christians is to say too little about parts 1-3 and too much about part four. The purpose is to tell how, not why, to become a Christian. We mistakenly assume that “lost” people would want to get “saved” if they just knew how much better life could be. We know that is true, but not from a “lost” perspective. Many “lost” people do not realize their “lost-ness” because they are having too much fun.
According to Jude 21-23 there are only two motivations for coming to Christ for salvation. One is the love of God. The other is the fear of Hell. They will come to Jesus not because your life is better than theirs, but because Heaven is better than Hell.
If you are using your testimony as your primary witness tool tie the four parts to scripture. Here are some suggestions. From the Roman Road you can use Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, and 10:9-10. From the Gospel of John, I like John 3:16, 6:44, 14:6, and 1:12. I also suggest 1 John 1:8-9, 3:16, 4:15, and 5:13. There are many to choose from, choose wisely, and plan ahead what you will say.
Here are the four basic components:
1. Before I became a Christian…
2. Then, one day, I realized I could not do it myself…
3. I prayed and said…
4. Since that day my life has changed.
Introducing Jesus from the Bible:
1. We are separated from God by the darkness of sin. John 3:16, Romans 3:23.
2. God loves us so he sent His Son to take the punishment for our sins. Romans 6:23
3. He died in our place, and was buried. Romans 5:8
4. He was raised from the dead by the power of God. Romans 10:9-10 (Lord=Owner)
5. Jesus is the only way to Heaven and the only one who has the power to forgive sins. John 14:6 (It is not by any work we do or that anyone does for us.)
6. You must choose Heaven or Hell, Jesus or yourself, and make Jesus the Lord and owner of your life. John 1:12.
7. Being a Christian is a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus with His help, 1 John 1:9. Everyday you need to continue to pray, read the Bible, spend time with other Christians in a Church, and tell others about Him.
Salvation Prayer: You can modify this to make it your own, just remember ABC: Admit, Believe, and Confess.
I have used all or parts of this basic prayer for many years in witnessing situations. I have divided it into phrases to use with a translator. I have also high-lighted the most important phrases so you can make this shorter.
You may feel it is necessary to add to this prayer, depending on the circumstances. For example, sometimes a person may need to renounce a specific sin.
You may encounter someone who has never prayed before and does not know how or what to pray. Do not assume that a person knows how to pray. Also, do not assume that a person knows how to read, if you are accustomed to handing the written prayer to the person to read and then pray for himself. Invite them to pray aloud, admit their sin, and ask Jesus to come into their heart. If they hesitate or admit they do not know how, offer to help by saying a prayer that you can repeat together.
If you are inviting someone to repeat this prayer after you, you could say, “If you do not know how to pray I can help you. Repeat this prayer after me and mean it in your heart as we pray together.” You could at this point remind them of Romans 10:9-10, 13, 1 John 1:9, or Revelation 3:20.
1. Jesus, I believe in you.
2. I know I am a sinner.
3. I believe you died for my sins,
4. And that God raised you from the dead
5. To give me a new life.
6. I turn away from my sins.
7. Please forgive me and come into my heart.
8. I give you my life and make you my Lord.
9. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.
10. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Heart Questions: Immediately follow up the prayer with a few basic questions.
1. Ask, “Do you believe Jesus came into your heart when you asked Him?”
2. Ask, “Then will you pray in your own words thanking Jesus for His salvation?”
3. Get name and address information for the local church to conduct follow-up. Ask the person to sign his/her name to your list as a commitment to follow Christ and be part of a local Bible study. This takes the place of walking an aisle and is more affirming than simply raising a hand. Do this regardless of the size of group. Have several pieces of paper and pens ready for a larger group.
4. Invite them to a Bible Study in the afternoon and remind them that, “All living things need to Grow, including your new life in Christ. That means you must pray, read the bible, or come to a place where you can hear it read and explained, spend time with other Christians, and tell others what Jesus has done for you.”
5. Close with prayer. “May I pray for you again?”
6. You may also want to ask, “Is there anything special I can pray about for you?”
7. Leave the door open for a return contact. Always leave friendly, as you came, and pray for them silently as you walk away. Write down any additional information the pastor might need to know such as needs, etc.
Support everything with prayer. Pray for safety, harmony, and Spiritual preparation. Pray that each team member will have enough energy for each task, get enough rest, and that everyone will stay healthy on the food that is set before you. Pray for the anointing of the Spirit on God’s Word, you and your team as His messengers, and that those who hear you will hear gladly and receive Jesus into their hearts. Pray for your families at home, and for your church family, that those who sent you will also receive a blessing and that all of you will have a heart for missions that will reach across the street and around the world.
Your families at home need prayer as well. I cannot stress that enough. Mission trips often require you to be out of touch with them much of the time and it is difficult to minister when you are worried about things back home. Pray as much for them as you do for the team. Pray that no emergencies arise on either front. Everything you pray for the team pray also for your families
Telling the good news of Jesus Christ is always exciting. Add to that the excitement of a group on a mission trip and the excitement continues to build.
God bless you as you prepare to go into all the world and fish for people with the Gospel.
Leading People to Christ
Robin H. Cowin DMin.
There are already many good plans available for leading a person to Christ. But, while many of them do a good job training a person how to initiate a soul-winning conversation most of them fall short in leading a person in the Salvation Prayer.
Training groups to go on mission trips where the primary focus is leading new believers to Christ has opened my eyes to this critical need in our training. Many times we are faced with leading a person to Christ who has never prayed before and knows little or nothing about prayer.
Most of us in American churches have grown up with Church concepts, such as prayer, and assume everyone knows what we are talking about. We have worked hard to remove church language from our witnessing vocabulary, realizing that many of the people we witness to are not familiar with that terminology. But when we get to the most important part of a witnessing encounter, the part where we ask the person to pray and receive Christ, we fail to explain what that is, why that is important, or how to do it. This is something we can fix if we just cover it in our training in an affective way.
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4:19 NKJV) Jesus calls us to be Fishers of Men. We just need to learn how to fish.
FISH training divides a witnessing encounter into four main components: Friendly conversation, Introduce Jesus, Salvation prayer, and Heart questions. Each part includes options that can be modified to fit your style. It is designed to work with almost any plan of salvation you may already be using. The purpose of FISH is to equip you with one more tool that will make you more confident as a witness. I have included parts of several plans that I like to use in order to make this a complete training process.
Friendly Conversation: Here is a simple outline you can use as you deem appropriate. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV)
Break the ICE: Introductions, Conversation, Exploring questions.
1. Introductions. Say hello, exchange greetings. If you are using a translator try to learn basic introductions in the native language. Give your name, where you are from, and the purpose of your visit. Allow the translator to introduce himself/herself and the church you are working with.
2. Conversation. Make a little small talk, just to be friendly. People always enjoy talking about themselves, so ask about family, interests, job, etc., and identify, if possible, by talking about your own family, etc., where appropriate. Do not talk more than them. Make them feel at ease with your presence. Also do not spend too much time here, especially if you are working through a translator.
3. Exploring questions. Several plans have good questions that transition to the gospel presentation. I like them all, and they have all been used in so many different presentations that we have forgotten who said it first. My personal favorites are the series of questions given in “How Can I Share My Faith Without an Argument?” by Bill Fay. (Booklet available from RBC Ministries, www.rbc.net)
1. Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
2. To you, who is Jesus?
3. Do you think there is a heaven and a hell?
4. If you died right now where would you go?
5. If what you believe were not true, would you want to know?
Introduce Jesus: Using your Testimony: “May I tell you about my life-changing experience?”
Your personal testimony can be your most effective witnessing tool. If you can effectively tell someone how you became a Christian you are giving them all the information they need to make the same decision. Your testimony needs to be well organized, scriptural, and concise. You can weave scripture into the components of your testimony and use it as your plan for leading a person to Christ. Your testimony can also be an introduction into the scripture plan you use.
There are four basic components to a witnessing testimony. If you are using this as an introduction to your plan, what you are going to say should fit in the spaces provided below.
A common mistake for experienced Christians is to say too little about parts 1-3 and too much about part four. The purpose is to tell how, not why, to become a Christian. We mistakenly assume that “lost” people would want to get “saved” if they just knew how much better life could be. We know that is true, but not from a “lost” perspective. Many “lost” people do not realize their “lost-ness” because they are having too much fun.
According to Jude 21-23 there are only two motivations for coming to Christ for salvation. One is the love of God. The other is the fear of Hell. They will come to Jesus not because your life is better than theirs, but because Heaven is better than Hell.
If you are using your testimony as your primary witness tool tie the four parts to scripture. Here are some suggestions. From the Roman Road you can use Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, and 10:9-10. From the Gospel of John, I like John 3:16, 6:44, 14:6, and 1:12. I also suggest 1 John 1:8-9, 3:16, 4:15, and 5:13. There are many to choose from, choose wisely, and plan ahead what you will say.
Here are the four basic components:
1. Before I became a Christian…
2. Then, one day, I realized I could not do it myself…
3. I prayed and said…
4. Since that day my life has changed.
Introducing Jesus from the Bible:
1. We are separated from God by the darkness of sin. John 3:16, Romans 3:23.
2. God loves us so he sent His Son to take the punishment for our sins. Romans 6:23
3. He died in our place, and was buried. Romans 5:8
4. He was raised from the dead by the power of God. Romans 10:9-10 (Lord=Owner)
5. Jesus is the only way to Heaven and the only one who has the power to forgive sins. John 14:6 (It is not by any work we do or that anyone does for us.)
6. You must choose Heaven or Hell, Jesus or yourself, and make Jesus the Lord and owner of your life. John 1:12.
7. Being a Christian is a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus with His help, 1 John 1:9. Everyday you need to continue to pray, read the Bible, spend time with other Christians in a Church, and tell others about Him.
Salvation Prayer: You can modify this to make it your own, just remember ABC: Admit, Believe, and Confess.
I have used all or parts of this basic prayer for many years in witnessing situations. I have divided it into phrases to use with a translator. I have also high-lighted the most important phrases so you can make this shorter.
You may feel it is necessary to add to this prayer, depending on the circumstances. For example, sometimes a person may need to renounce a specific sin.
You may encounter someone who has never prayed before and does not know how or what to pray. Do not assume that a person knows how to pray. Also, do not assume that a person knows how to read, if you are accustomed to handing the written prayer to the person to read and then pray for himself. Invite them to pray aloud, admit their sin, and ask Jesus to come into their heart. If they hesitate or admit they do not know how, offer to help by saying a prayer that you can repeat together.
If you are inviting someone to repeat this prayer after you, you could say, “If you do not know how to pray I can help you. Repeat this prayer after me and mean it in your heart as we pray together.” You could at this point remind them of Romans 10:9-10, 13, 1 John 1:9, or Revelation 3:20.
1. Jesus, I believe in you.
2. I know I am a sinner.
3. I believe you died for my sins,
4. And that God raised you from the dead
5. To give me a new life.
6. I turn away from my sins.
7. Please forgive me and come into my heart.
8. I give you my life and make you my Lord.
9. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.
10. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Heart Questions: Immediately follow up the prayer with a few basic questions.
1. Ask, “Do you believe Jesus came into your heart when you asked Him?”
2. Ask, “Then will you pray in your own words thanking Jesus for His salvation?”
3. Get name and address information for the local church to conduct follow-up. Ask the person to sign his/her name to your list as a commitment to follow Christ and be part of a local Bible study. This takes the place of walking an aisle and is more affirming than simply raising a hand. Do this regardless of the size of group. Have several pieces of paper and pens ready for a larger group.
4. Invite them to a Bible Study in the afternoon and remind them that, “All living things need to Grow, including your new life in Christ. That means you must pray, read the bible, or come to a place where you can hear it read and explained, spend time with other Christians, and tell others what Jesus has done for you.”
5. Close with prayer. “May I pray for you again?”
6. You may also want to ask, “Is there anything special I can pray about for you?”
7. Leave the door open for a return contact. Always leave friendly, as you came, and pray for them silently as you walk away. Write down any additional information the pastor might need to know such as needs, etc.
Support everything with prayer. Pray for safety, harmony, and Spiritual preparation. Pray that each team member will have enough energy for each task, get enough rest, and that everyone will stay healthy on the food that is set before you. Pray for the anointing of the Spirit on God’s Word, you and your team as His messengers, and that those who hear you will hear gladly and receive Jesus into their hearts. Pray for your families at home, and for your church family, that those who sent you will also receive a blessing and that all of you will have a heart for missions that will reach across the street and around the world.
Your families at home need prayer as well. I cannot stress that enough. Mission trips often require you to be out of touch with them much of the time and it is difficult to minister when you are worried about things back home. Pray as much for them as you do for the team. Pray that no emergencies arise on either front. Everything you pray for the team pray also for your families
Telling the good news of Jesus Christ is always exciting. Add to that the excitement of a group on a mission trip and the excitement continues to build.
God bless you as you prepare to go into all the world and fish for people with the Gospel.
First Blog
What is the purpose of a blog? I know what I want to accomplish. But why do people read them? Why do I think anyone would care enough to read what I think? A blog is a risky venture from the point of view that maybe no one will read it. It is also risky when I think perhaps someone will read it.
I have done newsletter articles for years. It seems to me that blogging is similar to a newsletter, but a notch above. Like a newsletter I can express my thoughts in a way that I hope will be of some benefit to others. The notch above is the opportunity for feedback. With feedback I can, hopefully, improve on some of the ideas I publish and make them available to help more people.
A newsletter is a soapbox. A blog is a sounding board. From a soapbox one might expect to get heckled, which could also happen here. But from a sounding board one expects to get useful feedback to improve yourself, your ideas, or your plans.
We'll see.
Dr. Robin
I have done newsletter articles for years. It seems to me that blogging is similar to a newsletter, but a notch above. Like a newsletter I can express my thoughts in a way that I hope will be of some benefit to others. The notch above is the opportunity for feedback. With feedback I can, hopefully, improve on some of the ideas I publish and make them available to help more people.
A newsletter is a soapbox. A blog is a sounding board. From a soapbox one might expect to get heckled, which could also happen here. But from a sounding board one expects to get useful feedback to improve yourself, your ideas, or your plans.
We'll see.
Dr. Robin
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