Today’s simple step really is easy. Make a list, pray the list.

The most effective activity that you can do for those you care about is prayer. The most effective way to pray for people is to make a list. Put those you would like to see become Christians on a list. Each day, you choose a regular time. (personally, I like right around noon)

For each person pray these two basic requests:

1) Lord, reveal yourself to  _____________    today.

2) Lord, use me to share your love and message with ______________.

The Holy Spirit will work in your friends and in you.

Try it today. Keep it up for a week.

Let me know what happens.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Jesus never intended us to live our lives alone. That’s why he gave us families. He never intended us to take our journey of faith alone. That’s why he gave us the Church.  The Church is vital in supporting of efforts in showing our not yet believer friends Jesus’ love.

If you are an authentic friend with a person, you share your life. Your life includes other people.  As a Christian, that means other Christians. Introducing and doing things that include our believing and not-yet-believing friends is a great way for people to see Jesus come alive in the community. The love Jesus’ disciples have for each other is the living proof that Jesus has, and can make a difference.

The idea is simply to give more exposure to the difference that Jesus makes. No preaching, no pestering. Just the witness of love in lives that have been changed by Jesus.

The truth is it is just more fun to travel through this life with friends. Traveling life’s journey with friends who share Jesus is fun and fulfilling for all who are there.

Christianity is lived in community.
When you introduce your friends to other believers they
see Jesus’ love multiplied and made real.

The other day I was talking to some people about sharing Jesus with people who have not yet decided to follow Him. One of them said to me, “You were the first Jesus follower in your family, what is the secret of leading family members to faith?” My reply was simple, “Pray, Trust Jesus, and don’t be a Jerk!”

Let me tell you my story:

I became a Christian when was almost 18. I had been fairly rebellious in an intellectual and mouthy way to my parents. I showed them little respect and lived in my little world that didn’t include them. (Did I mention that we were stuck in a dysfunctional trap brought about by addiction) Our family life was sick, and there wasn’t one of us that lived through it unaffected. I was angry, aggressive and immoral in my lifestyle. My furor was often directed toward my family. Then a series of events lead me to follow Jesus.

Almost immediately, I started to live for Jesus with the same dedication and passion that I had previously directed to my anger, aggression, and immorality. That meant I went from yelling and being difficult to get along with to constantly letting them know that without Jesus they were headed to hell.

I would debate about the truth of Jesus and believed it was my job to point out what their personal sins and shortcomings were.

My new found zeal was a complete failure. I thought I was guiding them to Jesus. What I was doing was pushing them away and further damaging our relationship. In my mind, I was helping Jesus, in their minds, I was a jerk. It came to a point when I was told if I wanted to keep a relationship with them I had to quit talking about Jesus. I was doing much more harm than good.

Now about 20 years later, my father became a Christian. My brother and his wife followed not too long after that. I hadn’t talked to either of them about following Jesus as long as I could remember. As I thought about that I came to a few conclusions:

1)    I didn’t become a Christan overnight. It started with someone who looked beyond my anger and loved me to faith.

2)    My life had been a mess. My family had seen that mess for a long time. They had seen me declare several times before that I was different only to watch me go back to my old ways. They needed to see me change over the long haul to believe I was any different. A quick decision needed to be lived and proven lasting. All my words would mean nothing if I was the same jerk I had always been.

3)    God often uses others to touch people with Jesus’ love who are too close us to objectively see Jesus in us. I had too much baggage. Everything I said could be counted with, “Yeah, but I remember when you did/said this.” People without the personal baggage often become a more objective starting point for sharing Jesus.

4)    Jesus loves your loved ones more than you can imagine. When it seems like nothing will work and you have exhausted all avenues, and they still haven’t moved toward Jesus, pray. The Holy Spirit works through our prayers. Along with that Jesus hasn’t given up on anybody. He will keep after your family with graceful, loving persistence. It may take 20 years or more. Don’t ever stop praying.

5)    Don’t be a jerk. Learn to love your family just because they are your family. Honor their wishes. Don’t be argumentative. Let them see that your faith is not all about getting what you want but loving others and their point of need.

Pray, Trust Jesus, and don’t be a Jerk. Give it a try. Let me know how it goes.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We write this to make our joy complete.” (1John 1:1-3)

Jesus shared His life with the world. The early disciples testified to it. More importantly than that they lived this truth out on a daily basis. Here is a brief excerpt describing the impact early Christians had on their culture:

They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others; they beget children, but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death and restored to life. They are poor yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things and yet abound in all; they are dishonored and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of and yet are justified; they are reviled and bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good yet are punished as evildoers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks, yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred. To sum it all up in one word — what the soul is to the body, that are Christians in the world.” From  The Epistle to Diognetes, c. AD 130

Another writer summarizes the impact the early Christian had on the people around them:

“. . . Christianity served as a revitalization movement that arose in response to the misery, chaos, fear, and brutality of life in the urban Greco-Roman world. . . . Christianity revitalized life in Greco-Roman cities by providing new norms and new kinds of social relationships able to cope with many urgent problems. To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachment. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fire, and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective nursing services. . . . For what they brought was not simply an urban movement, but a new culture capable of making life in Greco-Roman cities more tolerable.” Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity, Princeton University Press, 1996, page 161.

When we share the changed Holy Spirit Filled lives that we have because of Jesus the world will take notice. Sharing our faith will become easier because our lives and our love will open doors to  hearts and minds to the possibility of the truth about Jesus. Once that takes place who knows what can happen?

Today live your life in the light of what Jesus has done for you. Live your life in the gratitude and power of the transformation that has taken place in you. Then when you get the opportunity, love someone with Jesus’ love.

I want to share my condolences and shock at the continued violence that seems to be an everyday occurrence in today’s America. Leonard Pitts Jr. quoted Robert Kennedy, “My favorite poet,” he told them, “was Aeschylus. And he once wrote, ‘And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.’ What we need in the United States is not division. What we need in the United States is not hatred. What we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness but is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer in our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.”

He then goes on to say, “Those words feel hopelessly idealistic, impossibly innocent and yet, wise, grace-filled and…right for the raw pain of this moment I commend them to all our wounded spirits on this shining morning from a peaceful place that, as it turns out, is not nearly far enough away.”

I see those statements as being a clear call for Christians to be about our Lord’s work of loving God and loving others. Who else but ambassadors of the Prince of Peace have a message that can reconcile every human heart with their creator and with every other person? Our example from Jesus and instructions from Paul  are simple and very clear. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” and “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” He was about peace, He died for man to have peace with God and provided a way to truly love each other. The Apostle Paul added,” If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

How do we bring this peace? By sharing our faith. Evangelism isn’t just about more people in church and fewer people in hell. It is about lives that are transformed by Jesus’ love. These transformed lives live out that transformation in ways that makes everyone’s life around them better. More loving, more peaceful, more secure, more giving, and more graceful.

Only Jesus can bring this about. Only His Church and His people can be the deliverers of this transforming message of love and peace.

What is the answer to the violence in the world today? The same as it has always been; Followers of Jesus Following Jesus. Share His love with someone today. Share His Message. Be the peace that you desire to see in the world. It isn’t idealistic or impossibly innocent it is God’s Plan,  the Good News of Jesus.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

John 14:27

Have you ever had someone tell you something for your own good? Have you ever felt good after they told you? Usually not. One of the problems with “knowing” that you are right is the self-righteous attitude that often accompanies such certainty.  I have had people share with (insult) me about my parenting, political affiliations,  religious beliefs, communication style, fashion choices  and much more  all under the guise of wanting the best for me.

My questions always are, How do you know what is best for me? (Do you know me at all? The circumstances that brought me to this point in my life? Do you know where God is leading me? By what authority do you make this pronouncement?)  and Do you actually care at all for me? (Do I even know you? Do you know me? Why does it seem that you are saying this for your good? Is this the kindest way you could say it? Do you have a brain in you head or a heart in your chest?) Okay, I know that was more than two questions.

Hopefully, you get the point. I am sure with the recent political cycle we are going through you have seen many examples of people “wanting the best for us” who have no clue about us. This is where as followers of Jesus we are given a better way to connect with people. The example is from Jesus Himself.

Your attitude should be the same
as that of Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
(Philippians 2:5-7)

If anyone had the right to shove something in our face and down our throat it was Jesus. He choose a better, more noble, more human way to share the ultimate, unchanging, absolute truth that every person must account for by being humble. Even more than just being humble, He sought to serve people, meeting them at their need. He earned the right to speak what was and is the best for them.

We need to earn the right to tell others of Jesus’ love. Only a life lived like Jesus full of service and humility, (not self-righteousness and arrogant attitudes) will win the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with our friends, neighbors, and relatives.if you want to tell someone something for their good, make sure they know that you love them.

“Whom you would change, you must first love.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For a while, I worked as a painter. (Seven years) As part of that job, I occasionally had to make repairs. Drywall repairs, plaster repairs, fascia, and repairs on other wood before I would paint. After several mistakes in cutting and measuring a friend of mine suggested, take notice of the old carpenter’s saying, ” measure twice and cut once.” From then on the number of my mistakes drastically decreased.

I have taken that advice and adapted it to talking to others about Jesus.

I like to “pray twice before I speak once.” What I mean by this is, I first pray to love people like Jesus does (previous blog).  Then I pray specifically for the person(s) I want to see come to Jesus.

Praying twice before speaking once helps me in many ways. I don’t put my foot in my mouth as often; it is easier to keep my focus on loving the other person with no strings attached, and it gives me confidence that God will be active in the conversation. (I am not going it alone).

How do I know God will be involved? Because when we pray according to what God expresses in the Bible, we can be sure he will be present and active.

So, Praying for our unsaved friends is the best way to begin reaching them for Christ. The following verses give us a biblical outline for these prayers.

For God to draw them to Himself “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him . . . “ (John 6:44)

That they would seek to know God “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

For them to believe the Scriptures “ . . . faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17)

That Satan would be prevented from blinding them to the truth “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

For the Holy Spirit to work in them “When He [the Holy Spirit] comes He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness . . . But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:8,13)

That they would believe in Christ as Savior “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life”

(John 5:24) That they would turn from sin “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out . . . “ (Acts 3:19)

That they would confess Christ as Lord “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9,10)

That they would take root and grow in Christ “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6,7) -adapted from Discipleship Journal, Issue 34, 1986

You might think that all of those verses are overkill. You might be correct. However, in my experience, I usually run out of things to pray way before I feel the need to stop praying.

So give it a try, Pray Twice Before Speaking Once, and let me know how it works for you.

Are there any other prayers you offer up before sharing your faith? Let us know.

After the last blog I had some people ask me if what I was suggesting wasn’t just bait and switch. The idea is that I was only encouraging people to “love” (or act lovingly) as a means of getting people to become Christians or church members.

I can understand how someone could interpret this call to let our love precede our proclamation of the gospel. When we love others the way Jesus loves us we are following the teaching of the Bible.

Here are a few examples:

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Romans 12:9 9 Love must be sincere.

Galatians 6:10 So then, awhile we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,

John 13:34-35  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Our mission is to accurately transmit the life and love of Jesus through our experience of his love that overflows into the lives of others. So while it may appear to some that this is “bait and switch” what is happening is Christians overcome by Jesus’ love sharing that reality with others.

If we didn’t love our neighbors, co-workers, family members we would not try to share the message of Jesus with them. If we lived without sharing the gospel or God’s love and resigned people to live in their sin and without hope in the world, could we honestly call ourselves followers of Jesus?

Our love is not a ploy. Our love is a reflection of the love of Jesus poured out on our lives. Anything less is not worthy of His sacrifice for us and a sign of contempt for those that Jesus died.

 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.  2 Corinthians 2:14-15