Skip to main content

What's the Problem?

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and do the end of the earth." - Acts 1:8

This verse has been read and quoted many times to help inspire churches to reach those right outside their door and around the world.  It's also one that many missionaries feel is a major part of their calling to travel and spread the gospel in some of the most remote and dangerous areas on earth.  We seem to have more means, more ability, and I would like to think more motivation than ever before. 

So why does this question from my devotional this morning bug me so much:  What obstacles are currently hindering the gospel message from being fully proclaimed "to the ends of the earth?"

Sadly, my honest answer is me.  I'm not making every conversation about Christ and the wonderfulness of his grace.  I'm only sharing with those I feel comfortable talking about faith with, those who won't call me stupid if I say the wrong thing.  I'm not walking the streets of neighborhoods with homes of people I know don't live godly lives.  I haven't told my neighbor about Christ, or all the guys at the gym, or made sure everyone I work with knows Him. 

But yet I've sent a gift around the world at Christmas time and said I did my part.  Yeah John, you sure did buddy. I've allowed people I know personally but not spiritually wander through this thing called life without giving a second thought about their eternity.  All because I can't do it or don't know what to say.  You know what, maybe during that awkward silence when neither of you know what to say, maybe in that moment, the Holy Spirit is working in that person's heart.  Bring Jesus up, just talk about Him because you love Him and He loves you.

So yea I've failed at Acts 1:8, but there's no time like the present to start getting real.  We all quote Philippians 4:13, but re-read this verse about the power we receive from the Holy Spirit.  We can witness because we aren't doing it alone.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

2020 is Hindsight...Finally!

Wow, what a year! 2020 could literally be an entire decade, maybe more, of history, change, and lessons rolled up into these twelve months. While many aspects of 2020 were kind of sucky and we would like to forget them, it will certainly be a year to remember. And it will be enlightening when this year is looked back on in 10, 25, or 50 years to be discussed. I wonder if we'll seem like geniuses or idiots? Probably both to some extent! While there is so much that I could consider and analyze about this year, I'll try to break some of it down into four dimensions - Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social/Emotional. These are events and happenings from my world and perspective and I'm trying to be open in sharing and would love to hear from others on events you found most transforming. Physical When COVID cause gyms to close, that messed me up. Our town and state were late to be hit with severe cases and therefore later than many across the country to close up shop. I'm n...

Worship > Fellowship

I believe that worship, true worship of God, is more important than fellowship with other believers.  Now I'm not saying that fellowship and relationships aren't important.  But I am saying that if I'm not worshiping God, if I'm not right with him, then my other relationships can't be right.  My fellowship and worship with him is more important than my relationship with my wife, my son, family, friends, my church, and my community.  Think about it.  How can I love my wife like Christ loved the church if I don't love Christ?  I wouldn't know how to love without knowing him.  Why should she submit to me if I'm not worth submitting to?  And yes I do believes wives should submit, but I also believe that won't be an issue as long as she's submitting to a godly husband.  (Ephesians 5:22-25) Our love for others must flow from our love and worship of God.  1 John 4:19-21 reads, "We love because he first loved us.  If anyone says,...

The Power of Our Tongue

"How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell." - James 3:6 When we think of fire, we may think of a small campfire to roast marshmallows, a wood stove fire that is contained, or possibly a raging inferno that is destroying a building or forest.  James here is comparing our tongue to a fire.  The sinful words that come out of our mouths have the power to destroy everything they touch, and like a fire can do so rapidly or slowly, but with dramatic effect either way.  We should also be mindful of our speech because even if it's not directly what we say, the permeating "smoke" from our speech can destroy the things around us as well.  Often times even when we are filled with good and honorable actions, our tongue can stain, or contaminate, our body throug...