Author: mary

Romans 12:2 tells us to not conform to the patterns of the world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus. Dictionary.com says that the word conform means to “act in accord with prevailing standards, attitudes, and practices of a society or group.” So when Paul tells us not to conform to society, he is saying do not act according to their standards, attitudes, and practices. So what does this look like?

In a world that celebrates sin as differences and culture, we should be acting according to the Word of God. Lost people only use what they think they know about right and wrong as their standard. It is purely based on opinion and can change from person to person. The Christian uses the Bible as their standard, and the Bible does not change. Which would you rather follow, something that changes all the time or something that has stood the test of time? For example, when society tells you that love looks different from person to person and that it is acceptable to be in a relationship with the same sex, this goes against the Word of God. God created love to be between a man and a woman. We see evidence of this beginning in Genesis and carried out throughout the Bible. So with this issue the believer has a choice to make. They can either live by the society standards and accept the love that they have created, or they can live by the Bible’s standards and God‘s view of life.

This doesn’t ever mean that as a believer we should hate anyone who is living by society standards, attitudes, or practices, but instead it means that we should love our neighbor and share the message of the gospel with them so it will change their lives.

When a believer comes to know Christ, he/she immediately becomes part of the family of God. This is a powerful thought because it means that he no longer needs to feel alone. There are now people he can lean on and trust. This can be especially difficult for those who have been wronged by others, especially those in the church. God meant for Christians to be unified, and when they are, they can accomplish great things.

Look at Acts 2. The believers in the Acts 2 church were on fire for the Lord. They met together everyday. They devoted themselves to the teaching of the Word and shared all they had. They sold all of their possessions and gave the money to the poor. They praised together, ate together, and loved others together. Their witness and testimony spread throughout the land and God added to their numbers daily. This is God’s purpose for believers. He desires that we live as a family and actually do life together. These believers were not just meeting with their families and friends, they were not excluding anyone! They wanted all people to come to know him and as a result, they were seeing the family of God expand.

When we obey God and His plan for believers, we will begin to see unity in our churches and in the body of Christ. Seek Him out with other believers and watch Him do great things just as the Acts 2 church did.

We hear the phrase “follow your heart” all the time and movies, social media, and in the world today. But is this phrase accurate for the Christian? If we follow our hearts, are we truly following God? What does the Bible have to say about the heart? Let’s look at all of these things together to better understand what God‘s will is for our hearts.

First, the Bible says the heart is evil above all else (Jeremiah 17:9). If this is true, then following it would lead to disaster. This could mean that we are following selfishness, pride, and any other sinful quality that lives in our hearts. That does not sound like it would give us the happiness that we want in our lives. Second, the Bible says the heart is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). From the heart comes everything about us: our character, our thoughts, and our actions. So if we know that our hearts are the beat of our lives, then we should make sure that what we are putting in them is from the Lord and not from ourselves. Third, the Bible tells us to guard our hearts in Proverbs 4:23. It is not something to take lightly, but instead be very protective over our hearts. Do not allow the outside world to corrupt the inside of our souls.

This tells us that rather than trusting in ourselves and our own hearts, we should trust in the Lord. He will never fail us. He is trustworthy to lead and guide our hearts in the way we should go. We cannot see what is ahead of us, but God can. He will handle our hearts with care. So give your heart over to him, and trust that He knows what is best.

Evangelism has many faces and looks different with every person. The most important attribute of evangelism, though, is exclaiming to those who are lost about a Savior who will rescue them. Whatever method you use, the end result is the same: sharing the gospel. However, evangelism is something that every believer should pray about so that they can be effective in the gospel ministry.

Let us look at two different examples so you can see which one is more effective. The first person was excited about sharing his faith. He wanted to tell the world about his newfound faith! So, he began talking about all the Lord had done for him in every conversation he had with someone. There was no question he was a follower of Christ. He built relationships with nonbelievers so he could share his faith. As a result, some of his closest friends came to know the Lord. Another person had known Christ for many years but wasn’t quite as loud about her faith. She went to work everyday and did not engage in vulgar conversations and when the rest of the office went out after work, she did not so she didn’t taint her witness. However, she never really spoke about her faith, so her coworkers just thought she was a “goody-two shoes.” Both of these people lived out their faith and made sure they did not engage in worldly conversations, but only one of them really shared their faith.

Sharing your faith is more than just the way you live, it is about telling the good news to those around you. As a believer, you need to make sure you speak about the truth of Christ. You can do this by sharing Scriptures or your testimony. Pray and ask God to help you live out and SHARE your faith!

The gospel is needed everywhere. The more strife we see in the news and in our current events, the more we know how much the message of Jesus Christ is needed. We see destruction, hatred, and brokenness everywhere we look. So, when we say that His message is needed across the world, that means it is needed in our communities, in our nation, and in countries all over the world.

Take a look around your community. What do you see? Do you see evidence of the work of God all around you? If not, then His message is needed. It doesn’t matter if you live in a rich community or a poor community; the gospel is needed just as much. Our nation is also in great need of revival. History has proven over and over again that revivals can spread across a nation and change it for the better. Christians everywhere need to pray for our nation as it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” Another responsibility is to bring the gospel to the nations. There are still countries in our world that are unreached: the gospel has never traveled to the country. The people have never heard the Good News about Jesus. It is our responsibility to GO as it says in the Great Commission. If going is not a possibility for you, then you need to be involved by giving and praying for others who can GO.

People are lost without the Lord and in need of a Savior. Begin praying about how you can be involved with missions today in your community, our nation, and the world.