Witness with a warning!

May 29, 2019May 28, 2019 | lindamowles

When we were traveling in Alaska, we came to the train crossing outside Girdwood, Alaska. The side of the building had a very conspicuous warning, pictured here.

It tells the reader to always expect a train at this crossing and to stay off the tracks, stay away from the tracks, and stay alive! It certainly cannot be more pointed.

But, likely, even though it was placed there with those explicit terms, people still failed to heed the warning given. The temptation to try to outrun the train, or to cut in front of an oncoming locomotive is just too strong to resist. Hence the warning’s final phrase, “Stay Alive!”.

As Christians, we are told that we should warn others of their sin and of their need for a Savior. In Proverbs 11:30 (ESV) we read:

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.”

The New International Version of this verse reads:

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.”

Proverbs 11:30 NIV

In considering the second part of this verse and the winning of souls for our Lord, Matthew Henry says that the wise are more than merely righteous. Rather, they are trees of knowledge which is not forbidden but by which the wise man communicates wisdom to others. The purpose of this witness is to win souls for the Lord. In Daniel 12:3 we read that the wise turn many to righteousness, and this is the same thing that is referred to in Proverbs 11:30. Matthew Henry concludes the thoughts about this verse with these words:

“Those that would win souls have need of wisdom to know how to deal with them; and those that do win souls show that they are wise.”

But we should be aware that winning souls comes with a warning. God spoke to Ezekiel advising that he should tell the house of Israel the words that he receives from the Lord. In directing this, He includes a warning for failure to do that which He directs:

“And at the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.””

Ezekiel 3:16-21

John Calvin discusses these verses in his commentary and makes this statement:

Nothing is more precious to God than souls which he has created after his own image, and of which he is both the Redeemer and Father. Since, therefore, our souls and their salvation are so dear to God, hence we infer, how anxiously Prophets and all pastors ought to discharge their duties; for it is just as if God were to commit souls to their care, under this condition of rendering an account of each. Nor is it sufficient to admonish one and another, for unless they had endeavored to recall all from destruction to life and salvation, we hear what God here pronounces. Hence, also, Paul uses this expression, woe is me if I preach not the gospel, for a necessity is laid upon me.(1 Corinthians 9:16. – “For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!)

We have been called by our Lord to “make disciples”. This involves teaching and telling them of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We cannot “save” anyone, we can only point to our Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit will impress upon them the need for their salvation. We “merely” have the assignment to tell the good news and then live it out as a day to day witness of the Lord’s grace, mercy and love.

So, let us take our duties as Christians seriously. Let us not flippantly allow others to do our witnessing for us – we should be, like Paul, compelled to tell others the good news.

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

When we speak to others, we each do it in our own winsome way, but we must always be prepared to give an answer to those who ask us of our Savior. We must warn others of the danger to which they are exposed, but we must do so with gentleness, respect and an awareness that we are following our Lord’s directive, not our own agenda. Continue reading →

ARE YOU ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD?

July 18, 2017July 8, 2017 | lindamowles

Many years ago, like in the 1970s, there was a song sung by Karen Carpenter called “Top of the World .” The lyrics for the chorus of this song were:

I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation, and the only explanation I can find, is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around, your love’s put me at the top of the world.

We often want to be on the top of the world, don’t we? For most of us, that is simply a wish that we could get out of the dismal surroundings that confront us on a day-to-day basis. We want to be taken out of our current situation and put on top of it so that we won’t have to deal with the issues, be hurt by others, face difficult consequences, etc. We will be on top of the problem and it won’t be able to adversely affect us anymore.

A picture that comes to my mind when I think of escaping to the top of the world is that of the Meteora Monasteries in Greece. These monasteries of the Greek Orthodox Church were built high above the ground between the 14^th and the 16^th centuries. In fact, they are about 1,300 feet above ground. Wars and invasions were the norm, so having the monastery up above the fray was a way to minimize distractions, enable the monks to meditate more effectively, and, not at all an insignificant concern, it provided them a place of safety because of their incredible isolation from the world below.

monastery-of-the-holy-trinity-meteora-greece — Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Meteora, Greece, a 14th century monastery on the cliff tops.

In fact, goods and supplies, as well as visitors to the monasteries, were transported to the top by way of ladders lashed together and baskets tied to ropes, which were then hoisted to the top via pulleys. Now there are steps for easier access to some of the monasteries, but hundreds of years ago the way to the top was, indeed, formidable.

For more information, see the CNN Travel article about this area at http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/meteora-greece/index.html

It is indeed enticing to be on “top of the world”. But is this where we are to stay? Is this following the mandate that our Lord gave to His disciples? I think not.

Immediately before Jesus ascended into heaven, He and his disciples were gathered together and He gave them His final instruction:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 ESV

We are to go and make disciples, this is what the Lord commanded. This does not sound like we are to retreat from involvement with people, does it?

In a prior post we looked at living in a cave, something that has been done throughout history. Even King David hid in a cave when hunted by Saul. Thus, he spoke from experience when he said in Psalm 139:

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”

Psalm 139:7-8 ESV

Simply put, we cannot run from God. He is with us and sees us in the cave as well as on top of the mountain.

I certainly do not deny the good work that the monks have done, and are still doing, in the Greek Orthodox Church worship that occurs in these monasteries. Indeed, a retreat to the mountain top is exhilarating and we can experience God in a new way by stepping out of society and into a meditative cocoon, into silence and tranquility so that we can hear God’s “still small voice” [1 Kings 19:12] as He speaks to us in the way He has done through the millennia.

But, ministry, the work of the Lord in His world and the fulfilling of His command to His disciples, requires that we interact with those who are lost, who do not have a life-giving relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It requires that we go out of the place of worship and into the world; it requires that we be the light guiding others to Christ; it requires that we be the salt that heals and preserves as we introduce the Lord Jesus to those who do not know Him by our words and our lifestyle witness.

Whether it is a cave or a mountaintop retreat, we need to come out and interact with people as we make disciples. We should obey the Lord’s command, because we love Him; and we should do it all to the glory of the Father, the Almighty God.

Father, I pray that You would enable me to honor Your Son, Jesus Christ, as I live before others in the power of His Spirit. May my witness be glorifying to You and may Your Spirit bring others into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

MISSIONS – MORE THAN JUST BUILDINGS

November 15, 2016November 15, 2016 | lindamowles

When we visited our daughter in Texas, she took us on a tour of some of the missions and monuments erected in and about San Antonio. It was fascinating to look at these sites and to think about the people who lived at the time they were built.

used-mission-san-jose-san-antonio-texas-1782-mission-building-itself — Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas, built in 1720.

Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo was known as the “Queen of the Missions” that were built in the San Antonio area.

The priests’ rooms were built down an exterior corridor along the side of the mission.

The priests’ rooms along the corridor at the mission.

The mission was like most Spanish missions, it was not primarily a place of worship. Rather, the mission was the focal point of activity for those living in the area. It provided safety within its walls, when many of the people lived in much less secure homes. It provided social interaction and communication among neighbors who loved long distances apart. It provided a community of people who lived together and, then, who worshiped together at this place.

san-antonio-mission-san-jose-1720 — Mission San Jose – as restored for us to see and appreciate.

Mission San José has been restored and it illustrates how all the missions might have looked over 250 years ago. The grounds are beautiful and induce a sense of tranquility even though, when the mission was in use, it was bustling with activity, people and produce.

The missionaries who established the Mission San José worked on behalf of their Lord and Savior in bringing Christ to the people who had not heard of Him before.

While we may not erect buildings such as the Mission San José, we do have an obligation, as believers in Jesus Christ, to tell others of His sacrificial death and of their need for a Savior.

Jesus told us to spread the gospel in Matthew 28:19 when He said:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This was repeated in Acts 1:8 when Jesus told the disciples:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Apostles then and the Christian believers since then have been under Jesus’ commission to be witnesses of His gospel in our home city, in surrounding areas, and to the end of the earth. That is what missionary work is – first at home, then in local areas (home missions) and then around the world (foreign missions).

Paul understood the obligation to preach the gospel to all he encountered when he said in 1 Corinthians 9:16:

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

Paul saying “Woe to me”? He understood the mandate to reach others with the Word of God. His conviction was so strong, that he stated this warning. We would do well to take heed to these words.

It has been said that if we do not tell others of their sin and of their need of the Savior, we do not have a right concept of heaven and hell. If we truly believed that the unrepentant person would spend eternity in suffering in hell, we would be on the street corner grabbing any and all who would stop in our effort to avoid having even one person in that horrible place.

Missions – it may be a beautiful stone structure in which God is proclaimed and the Christian life is lived out as a testimony of the power of the gospel.
Missions – it may be speaking to people in a foreign country about God and about His Son to a people who have never heard of a God of love and grace.
Missions – it may be living a Christian life in witness to God’s grace before your coworkers and being ready to speak to them of sin and punishment, of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death, of grace and unspeakable joy in the Lord Jesus.
Missions – it may be teaching your children or grandchildren of God’s love and of Jesus’ death on the cross, leading them to learn of Him and praying that the Spirit would work on their behalf to seal them as Christians.

The following poem was taken from a tract published by Christian Laymen’s Tract League many years ago, as it was found in my Uncle’s well-worn Bible:

Speak out for Jesus

You talk about your business, your bonds and stocks and gold;

And in all worldly matters you are so brave and bold.

But why are you so silent about salvation’s plan?

Why don’t you speak for Jesus, and speak out like a man?

You talk about the weather, and the crops of corn and wheat;

You speak of friends and neighbors that pass along the street;

You call yourself a Christian, and like the Gospel plan –

Then why not speak for Jesus, and speak out like a man?

Are you ashamed of Jesus and the story of the cross,

That you lower His pure banner and let it suffer loss?

Have you forgot His suffering? Did He die for you in vain?

If not, then live and speak for Jesus, and speak out like a man.

Here is a musical offering that I pray will be a blessing to you. Ms. Robin Kochis is singing “How Beautiful” from the album Great is Thy Faithfulness. How beautiful are the feet of those that bring the message of Jesus Christ to a lost soul seeking relief from sin that only Jesus can bring.

May each of us, both men and women, bear His message wherever we go without being ashamed to raise His name!

Lord, forgive me when I have failed to speak your name to others. Forgive me when I have kept your gift of salvation to myself and have not shared with others the joy and comfort of an intimate relationship with the Creator God who we can now call Father because of your sacrifice. I praise You, my Lord and Savior. Give me the wisdom, strength and courage to speak your name to others today.