Monthly Archive for August, 2010

Ashamed of the Gospel?

by Jonas Harley | August 25, 2010

According to a recent study performed by the Barna Group (How Teenagers’ Faith Practices are Changing – July 12, 2010) teenagers are less inclined to have spiritual conversations about their faith in Christ with non-believers in hopes that they might accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, noted: “Christian teenagers are taking cues from a culture that has made it unpopular to make bold assertions about faith or be too aggressively evangelistic.” Furthermore, the research also revealed that the vast majority of these teenagers found it “cool to be a Christian”, but don’t find it worthwhile to talk about their faith to someone else.

As I read over the disappointing stats of this study I asked myself the question, “Why?” Here are 6 brief reasons why I believe today’s Christian teenagers are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ that has the power to save souls from the penalty of sin (Rom. 6:23).

Parents aren’t burdened for souls – Most teenagers base their passion for lost souls by the passion their parents have. I’m finding more and more Christian parents not having a burden to reach the lost for Jesus Christ and it is being transferred and reflected in their children. We as parents ought to be the pacesetters and teach and demonstrate to the next generation how to reach the lost for Christ.  

Church ministries aren’t providing opportunities or training – I know this is not the case in every Bible-believing church. There are many awesome church ministries that are equipping their members and providing opportunities. However, most church ministries are content with the status-quo. The “our 4 and no more” mentality is more prevalent than you think! When a church loses the passion for souls it will not see the need to equip the saints to witness, which results in the church becoming intellectual and eventually closes its doors. It’s time for Bible believing and preaching local churches to renew their zeal for lost people and diligently train their members to boldly and aggressively impact their communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Culture’s push for post-modern philosophies – Many of the secular universities and colleges (along with several compromising “Christian” colleges) are teaching a post-modern philosophy, such as relative truth, pluralism, rejection of the deity of Jesus Christ, rejection of biblical authority, etc. The bottom-line is to question anything and everything. Unfortunately, many Christian teenagers are weak in the area of apologetics (defense of the faith) and are accepting and tolerating these secular and unbiblical worldviews.

Persecution is heating up in the USA – Believe it or not, but religious freedom is slowing fading away in America. Not only does persecution reveal the bold committed Christians, but persecution also reveals non-believers in the church and the carnal Christians who are focused more on “living the life.” Many are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ because of fear of rejection. What does the Bible say in Matthew 5:10-12? “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Intellectualism – In many Christian circles today there is a lot of thinking and talking taking place and little doing. I’m more and more convinced that when Christians neglect to win souls to Christ the more intellectual they become. Yes, Christians must know what they believe and why they believe it, but this age of reasoning we are living is a result of Christians not putting behavior to their beliefs.

Christian Bubble – This research also noted that Christian churches appear to have fewer interactions among non-Christian teens than in the late 1990s. In other words, Christian teens are living in a bubble. Many can live their entire week without any interaction with unsaved people. They eat their Christian breakfast in their Christian home and then get in their Christian car to arrive at their Christian school to hang out with their Christian friends then participate in their Christian sports then conclude their day with their Christian shower and sleep in their Christian bed. I’m using exaggeration to make a point. It is important to have a Christ-centered life, but we must have interaction with unsaved people so we can be salt and light. It’s time to live outside the bubble! What did Christ do in Matthew 9:10-13?

The sin of silence is causing many Christians to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love what Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power to God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” May this be our heart beat too!

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A God Directed Life!

by Jonas Harley | August 17, 2010

There is no doubt you want God to direct your life. I’m sure at some point in your life you have echoed what the psalmist said, “Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths” (Psalm 25:4).  There are countless people and organizations that are gladly willing to offer you advice and guidance for your life. I want to submit to you that a God directed life never falters and I will biblically prove it to you in Proverbs 3:5-6. In order for God to direct your life you must follow these three commands.

You must trust in the Lord with all your heart (3:5a) – The key word here is trust. It means confidence, to cling to, to confide in. You will never follow someone who you do not trust. You will not place your entire trust in a person whose character you have no knowledge of. A good leader will be trustworthy among his or her followers. The reason many Christians struggle with allowing God to direct their life is due to the fact that they do not know their God very well. Ashamedly, many Christians have a surface and academic knowledge of God, but when it comes to making life altering decisions they struggle in trusting Him with all their heart. If you want to live a life that is directed by God you must take some time to establish a biblical view of God. Your trust will be in proportion to your love for God and your love is in proportion by your knowledge of God.   

You must not lean into your own understanding (3:5b) – The key word here is lean. It means to support one’s self, to rely, to prop up. A good illustration of this key word is observing someone on crutches. When you choose to not trust in the Lord with all your heart your natural default is to trust in your own knowledge and wisdom (understanding). Wow! It’s scary to think that if you fail to trust God you will naturally depend in your own ability and judgment to make decisions! God says you are fool! Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes…” To lean into your own understanding is an act of self-confidence that communicates there is no God! Remember, a God directed life never falters. You must depend and lean into God’s wisdom and understanding that is found through Scripture and in prayer.

You must acknowledge Him in all your ways (3:6a) – The key word here is ways. It means road, course of life, journey. It covers every area that life brings your way. God cares and loves you so much that He wants you to recognize (acknowledge) Him in every area. This keeps you on the right path, functions as accountability, and serves to keep you focused. When you are acknowledging God in all your ways that results in a God directed life!

Now, here is the best part. If you obey these three commands that are stated in Scripture, there is a promise that follows. God will direct your paths (3:6b)! This means God will make your paths straight. In other words, you have the blessings of God directing your life! God is your guide! A God directed life never falters! Amen!

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Baby Talk!

by Jonas Harley | August 13, 2010

On Wednesday, July 28, 2010, at 9:44pm my son Justin was born at a whopping and healthy 11 pounds and 12 ounces! This was a remarkable and unforgettable experience that only gets better! Throughout the entire birthing of my son the Lord personally taught and reminded me of several biblical lessons.

1. God’s Love for Me – I was closely watching and rapidly taking pictures in the operating room after my wife gave birth to Justin via C-section. When there was a brief pause in the action I leaned over and told Justin, “I love you” for the first time face to face and that is when the tears started to uncontrollably fall. It was also at that time that I was visually and vividly reminded just how much my Heavenly Father loves me! “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…” – 1 John 3:1  “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present , nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” –Romans 8:38-39.

2. God’s Creation – As they got baby Justin wrapped up they handed him to me to hold for the very first and I then presented him to my wife! After some smiles and tears the operation staff asked for his name.  I recently started reading through Genesis for devotions and a couple of days before we came to deliver I underlined Genesis 5:1-3 which says, “In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth.” I couldn’t but think that I received the wonderful privilege to bear a son in my own image and name him!  

3. Hunger for Food – Throughout our stay in the hospital, feeding baby Justin has obviously become an essential! Daily nutrition is vital for physical growth, especially for newborns! In the same manner, spiritual food is essential for spiritual growth. Watching my son yearn, crave, and long for “food” has sharply reminded me, do I hunger for God’s Word in the same way? Am I eager to get to the supply that gives me spiritual nourishment? “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” –1 Peter 2:2.

4. The Need for Regular Checkups – Many times during the day and night the hospital staff came in to do regular checkups on my wife and son. They checked blood pressure, took their temperature, listen to their heartbeat, asked questions, checked supplies, offered advice, examined vital signs, changed his diaper, and so forth. The hospital staff was very faithful and regular in performing these physical checkups to assure that everything was being assessed properly. Their dedication to the physical well-being of my family caused me to ask the question, do I diligently perform regular and daily spiritual checkups on my walk with God to assure my spiritual well-being is headed in the right direction? Convicting! How is my prayer life? My Bible reading? My witnessing? My priorities? Many Christians often neglect performing evaluations of their spiritual growth and causes them to derail. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” – 2 Corinthians 13:5.    

5. Children are a Blessing from God – God’s promise that children are a blessing is true! No matter what age my child is, having children is a direct blessing from God Almighty and I always want to maintain this viewpoint! “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.” –Psalm 127:3-5.

6. Worthwhile Wait – Having children inside the boundaries of a God-ordained heterosexual (one man + one woman for one lifetime) marriage is definitely the only way to go. Staying pure is worth the wait! “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That everyone of you should know how to posses his vessel [body] in sanctification and honor.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4.

Furthermore, childbearing inside the realm of marriage is very rewarding, guilt-free, and liberating! Why? Because it’s God’s way! “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…” – Genesis 1:27-28.

I’m praising the Lord for my wife’s strong recovery and my son’s healthy delivery! What an amazing time and looking forward to biblically shepherding my family to boldly live for God! Exciting times ahead!

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Mission Trip: Around The Corner!

by Jonas Harley | August 3, 2010

Mission trips are awesome! They are life-changing! If you have ever participated in a solid, service-oriented (not one of those “youth group vacation” ones) mission trip you know exactly what I’m talking about!

Every mission trip ought to be planned and designed to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31), function as an extension of the sending local church, serve other like-minded ministries home and abroad, encourage the Pastor or Missionary of the visited ministry, train the members of the mission team to take their next spiritual step in their walk with God, and provide “hands on” exposure to ministries throughout the world. 

Every year I prayfully select a theme that will express what we, as a team, are seeking to accomplish. In other words, if my team members were to remember one thing about that year’s mission trip, I want it to be the theme. This year’s theme was “Around The Corner” and Acts 1:8 and Philippians 1:27 were the verses that supported this theme. Allow me to briefly explain how those verses were put into practice… 

Acts 1:8 clearly commands Christians to be gospel witnesses locally, nationally, and internationally. This year’s trip focused on the local aspect, hence the “Around The Corner” phrase. We traveled about 25-30 minutes down the road to the next town to help a young church plant in Holly Springs, NC run their very first Vacation Bible School, do some mega door-to-door canvassing, and participated in their Sunday Worship Services. What a blessing it was to see 1 young girl trust Christ alone for salvation! That is one more soul that will spend eternity in heaven because of the members of this mission team caring about advancing the gospel locally. Just think if every church member faithfully advanced the gospel “around the corner” how that would transform our communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ!     

Philippians 1:27 clearly commands Christians to be “…striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Christians and Church ministries ought to be unified in their efforts to advance the gospel. Oftentimes, there is debate, envy, competition, and pride among believers which greatly hinders the work of the local church. Christians around the world and around the corner must be functioning like a team for the faith! It was awesome to visibly see my mission team helping this local church plant. We were running side by side pursuing and focusing on the same goal…the gospel of Jesus Christ! What a great lesson to learn! Take a moment to think about what would happen if every Bible preaching and believing church were truly ”striving together” in unity, what kind of impact would make on the world? 

I praise God for the wonderful opportunity to lead yearly mission teams and rejoice in the lessons that I learn through them. They keep the ministry fresh and my zeal for God hot! Now it’s time to start planning the 2011 mission trip!

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