February 24, 2014
If someone asked what the “Good News” is, what would you tell them?
pizza box evangelist
My wife and I were downtown trying to start spiritual conversations with people we met. We came across a 23-year-old street dweller and shared the gospel with him using a method called The Big Story. It involves drawing circles to explain God’s story and plan of salvation. The young man had a pizza box at his feet as he sat on a street bench, so I drew on it as I explained the good news. God moved in his heart and he received Jesus as his Savior! What’s more, later we saw him sharing the circles on the box with a man who had joined him on the bench. Then, not long afterward, the new believer in Jesus was showing them to another person.
“Christ” offends people
A few years ago, a prominent Christian group removed the word Christ from its organization’s name. The organization defended its name change, citing research which revealed that 20 percent of non-Christians were alienated and offended by the name of Christ. So they stated that they were merely looking for a name that would make the organization more effective in sharing the gospel.
guard these well
Japanese-born baseball player Ichiro Suzuki, having led professional leagues in Japan and the US in hitting, is arguably one of the best hitters to ever play the game. One could say he has a special bat—literally. The Mizuno sports equipment company custom-makes bats for Ichiro by hand. They use Tamo wood grown on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and Ichiro cares for them like Stradivarius violins. He even uses a custom-made suitcase that’s shockproof and moisture-free to protect them.
grow up
A couple in their late 50s recently decided to divorce, but they both refused to move out of their home. To resolve the impasse, a judge ordered that they halve the urban complex. This included the building of a wall to divide the living room on the first floor and sealing of the door that splits the living space on the second. The husband had construction workers build a spiral staircase, allowing him to get more easily from his living room to his dining room. He’s also made his ex-wife’s life a nightmare by yelling and banging on the walls. They each vow to stay in the house until the other moves out.
backslap back?
When I lived in China, I had an American friend who was radically committed to bringing the gospel to that nation. He mastered the Chinese language until even the Chinese thought he spoke exactly like them, with no foreign accent; and he aggressively shared Jesus at every opportunity. Once he was attacked by thugs, and rather than use his larger size to fight back he obeyed Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek. His pummeling increased my admiration for him, though I also think he missed Jesus’ point.
disney’s gospel
As my family was leaving the park after a fun day at Disney, the loudspeakers were playing a happy song with the chorus, “In everything you do, celebrate you!” The song reminded me of the earlier parade that encouraged us to celebrate our dreams, “whatever they are.” My 12-year-old son, the apparent cynic in the family, proclaimed that his dream was to take over the world. Should that be celebrated? My dream was for free refills, but that was dashed too.
announcing life
The small island of Crete was a tough place. Knee-deep in glamour and hedonism, it was where the rich went to play. First-century tourism advertisements might have echoed the motto from modern-day Sin City (Las Vegas, Nevada): “What happens in Crete . . . stays in Crete.” The apostle Paul tells us that even one of their own, a Cretan, summarized that the populace was full of “liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12).
collapsed
In the past few years, my kids and I started a Christmas tradition of making gingerbread houses with some friends. Last year, as we prepared to go meet with the others, I gathered our supplies and noted with concern that the baked product didn’t seem quite hard enough. Later, my dread grew as the first house collapsed before the pieces…
the truth
The innocence of our 8-year-old son recently took a serious hit. He has begun to pay more attention to television commercials. As he’s viewed the ads, he has slowly begun to realize that not everything they claim is true. Toys are never as exhilarating as the commercials portray. Tennis shoes never provide the excitement and cool-factor the advertising suggests. Recently,…
anywhere . . . everywhen
Where do you tell people about your Savior Jesus? Who do you tell about Jesus? When do you tell about Jesus?
I love the teachings and writings of G. Campbell Morgan. One of his famous quotes makes us remember when GOD says go . . . go! When GOD says speak . . . speak! If he says step out on…
not ashamed
"Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, He’s the one to fear" (Luke 12:4-5).
Jesus tells us in Matthew to let our…
passion and pigtails
In 1853, 21-year-old Hudson Taylor left Liverpool for China. His ship arrived in Shanghai, one of five treaty ports China had opened to foreigners following The First Opium War with England. Soon after arriving, Taylor made a radical decision (at least for Protestant missionaries of his day). He decided to wear Chinese clothing and grow a pigtail (as Chinese men…
in the tent
As I was sorting through the daily mail, my life suddenly merged with the lives of fellow believers thousands of miles away. As I looked at the simple foldout from a magazine, the brown and white colors of the map muted the violent attacks these persecuted Christians endure. The map, pinpointing places where the gospel goes forth with great struggle,…
