Communicating Jesus

Who was the first person to tell you about Jesus? A dad or mom? A grandparent? Maybe a friend? You can probably think back to several people who the Spirit of God used to help you understand the Good News about Jesus dying on the cross, rising again, and the need for you to personally decide to trust Jesus. Now here’s the question, Do you regret that any of these people told you about Christ?

The first century church did not grow because they kept silent. The New Testament
reveals that the new powerful message about a Jewish crucified Messiah who rose from the dead was spreading like a flame driven by gusty winds. Paul begins his letter to the Colossians expressing his passion to let everyone in on the incredible mystery that was now clear.

Paul offered far more than five steps to overcoming your anger or three principles that could help you to achieve financial success. He believed that God had revealed to him a secret that not even Abraham, Moses, or Isaiah knew about.

Down through the ages and in past generations the secret was in God’s heart. But when Jesus died and rose again the secret was out. The Messiah would take up residence in the life of anyone who would simply trust Him, and this presence would guarantee that glory, not death, was ahead. Paul could not have stated this precious revelation more succinctly.

"To the saints (believers) God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is the Messiah in you, the hope of glory."
Colossians 3: 27

When I am intimidated about sharing Jesus with someone else, I remember what a gift it is to have Him living inside my life, and I remember those who had the courage to make the Gospel clear to me. This gets my tongue untied when the opportunities come to speak up.

Some suggestions to help you to proclaim Him:

1. Reflect back on this past week. What evidence do you see in your personal life that Jesus has made your heart His home address? (Check out Matthew 5:14-16)


2. Do you find it easier to shine your life in your home, school, workplace or neighborhood?
Where is the most difficult place to shine your light?


Think of one concrete way that you can shine your light this week.

3. Can you think of three family members, fellow students, golf or hunting buddies, or work associates who do not clearly understand what it means that Jesus can take up residence in their lives?


Write down their names:
a.

b.

c.

Now make a commitment to pray for them for the next thirty days –

Pray that the Holy Spirit would work in their life and draw them to Jesus.
Pray that your life would serve as a good witness.
Pray for boldness and opportunity to share your faith with them.
Pray that they would trust Christ as their Savior

4. You are an expert in telling your story of how you came to trust Jesus for your salvation. Have you ever written it down? Take a few minutes this week to do this and then share it with a friend.

Celebrating 50 Years

This week I am teaching Romans at the Word of Life Camps in Upstate New York, but the primary reason Mary and I flew up to Albany was to celebrate my sister and brother-inlaw's 50th wedding anniversary. Dave and Mary Ann were married in 1957, one year after five of their fellow Wheaton graduates were martyred in Equador. Dave's father was a pioneer missionary in Guatemala, but the Lord called the young couple to Brazil where they started Word of Life's first Bible Institute.


In a family filled with loud voices for Jesus Dave was the quiet, steady, disciplined planner who used his administrative skills to transform the training of counselors at Christian summer camps throughout the U.S. and then to found Palavra Da Vida Seminary --a school that has become the Moody Bible Institute--Dallas Seminary for the Brazilian culture.


David Cox Jr., Dave and Mary Ann's oldest son, worked on our pastoral staff in Midlothian while he attended Dallas Seminary. Then after a few more years serving with us headed out to Brazil to join his mom and dad as one of the profs in the seminary.

For three hours Sunday afternoon David led us in a tribute to his dad and mom built on Psalm 127:1.
Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

Listening to their children and grand children extol their dad and mom and their grandpa and grand ma proved that the Spirit can still fuel a marriage for 50 years.Praise the Lord! He is still in the business of building strong homes.

Congratulations Dave and Mary Ann, I pray the Lord gives you 50 more.

Hippy Turned Evangelist

Last night I stayed in the home of Tom and Vicki Maheiras. The first time I saw Tom he looked like one of the Three Musketeers--complete with mustache, beard, and in place of a sword--a Gibson guitar. It was the summer of '68, and Tom was high on drugs when my friend Bruce invited him to leave Lake George and come up to Word of Life Island on Schroon Lake. That night, Jack Wyrtzen, my dad, proclaimed the good news about Jesus, and Tom came forward to receive Christ. That was 39 years ago, and last night, instead of being high on LSD, he was high on how the Lord had used him to speak to 50,000 Africans in Uganda, and he was strategizing about how to unite the power of the Gospel with the skill of American entrepreneurship to seek to bring more than just a hand-out in Africa. He has pastored for more than 30 years and now head up CitiVision, an inner city ministry mobilizing the Body of Christ not only in New York City, but in cities around the world, to change the ghetto into a community transformed by Jesus. The Gospel still is the power of God. My friend Tom and his precious wife, Vicki, prove it. I picked up my oldest son and his family at JFK this morning. Now its time to relax with the Wyrtzen tribe for a week at Word of LIfe where new "Toms" could get close to Jesus during another week of ministry. Pray!