Prayer is essential to disciple-making. God is the one who is sending laborers, empowering us to witness, and drawing people to Jesus. However, we are all called to witness when the Holy Spirit empowers us to do so (Acts 1:8). A witness tells about their experience. You don't have to be an expert; you just have to have met Jesus. In preparation for the power of the Spirit, I encourage you to know your Jesus story and know the gospel. This video teaches you how to prepare your Jesus story with three parts.
Dead Spirits and the Scientific Method
Rational Belief
Following Jesus should never involve a blind leap of faith.
The idea that faith should be blind is false. Due to an array of causes, some have falsely promoted an idea that religious belief somehow requires the suspension of logic. The indication seems to be that religious matters are outside the scope of rational and scientific thought and are therefore false.
First of all, the idea that matters of faith do not intersect science and rationality is a false premise leading to a false conclusion. However, the idea that something is false simply because it cannot be tested scientifically is itself a false assumption. It is akin to saying, “Since I have never seen a virus it doesn't exist.” The limitation of knowledge is not an indication of existence beyond knowledge's limits.
Without giving you the whole back story, much of this thinking came as a result of an array of philosophers who subscribed to Isaac Newton's view that the universe was a vast machine of cause and effect that could not be influenced by anything outside of itself. This erroneously ruled out the miraculous work of God and led to a few of theology that puts the human subject at the center of knowledge, rather than viewing God as the source of knowledge about Himself. This view led to many arguments against God's existence, as well as to a vast array of liberal theology that denies the essentials of faith listed in the last chapter.
Newton's mechanistic view of the universe has since been supplanted by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, which aligns quite well with the Christ-centered worldview that sees God as the revealer of truth. While the truth of God stands regardless of trends in the sciences, it is nice to see the realm of physics start to catch up a bit with what God has shown us in His Word.
7 Books to Help You Decide on Jesus
Books about jesus
Following Jesus is a journey. Before you Trust Jesus, you may have questions about Him. Here are seven books to help you on your journey:
The Gospel of John. The bible has four comprehensive accounts of Jesus' life. Known as "the Gospels," (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) they each address Christ's life with a different focus. John's Gospel was written for a global audience and spread quickly throughout the known world in the First Century. Lot's of people start here, though all of the gospels are helpful.
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. This book was written by an atheist journalist who set out to disprove Christianity, but ended up believing in Jesus. The book provides a compelling argument for faith in Christ. While the book is very logical, it is also easy to read. You don't have to be a professor to follow this one, but your mind will be stretched nonetheless.
By This Name by John R. Cross. There are a lot of different religions and a lot of different views of God. Cross looks into various religions, addressing why Jesus is unique, and providing an argument as to why Jesus is the Truth. Whether you are an agnostic, pluralist, or just have questions, this book will be helpful.
Stranger on the Road the Emmaus by John R. Cross. This book is written for people who have had some experience with Christianity but have questions about what it all means. Cross uses the Gospel of John as a template to explain historical backgrounds and help you understand who Jesus really is. This is a good book to read in conjunction with the Gospel of John.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Written by one of the greatest thinkers in Christian History, this book is both beautiful and insightful. Lewis approaches the Christian faith from a philosophical viewpoint, giving a rational argument for every major aspect of the Christian faith. His argument for God's existence based on human morality is quite compelling.
The Historical Jesus by Gary Habermas. This book is written for scholars. It addresses the historical evidence for Jesus Christ, and establishes the New Testament's account of Jesus as the most reliable documentation of any First Century person. This book as well as other books by Habermas is valuable for the thinker who wants to dig deeper into the evidence for Jesus.
Questions of Life by Nicky Gumble. This book is essentially the Alpha Course in written form. Gumble's approach is both conversational and rational. Each section answers a question, making this one of the simplest and possibly the best books on the subject. Of course, I recommend signing up for the Alpha Course, so that you get the full experience. The course is offered all over the world.
Ultimately, my hope is that you Trust Jesus. That only happens as He reveals Himself to you. However, books and evidence can help along the way. Are there other books that have been helpful to your process?
7 Ways to Experience Jesus Before You Believe in Him
A lot of people have very little interest in spiritual things. They may have some passive view of religion, but it doesn't influence their daily life. It's more like a "good luck" charm to them. Others see religion as a foolish or even dangerous thing. Then, something happens. They suddenly have an inexplicable desire to learn more about Jesus, not just spirituality. They are drawn to Jesus. Another time, I can explain what this is about. The short answer is that God is drawing.
Maybe this is happening to you. You might be an atheist or an agnostic, but you find yourself drawn to church or to people people who love Jesus. I've had conversations with people at church who said things like, "I hate all of this, but I keep coming back. I don't know why." More often, I meet people who were feeling drawn to be around God's people. They couldn't explain it, but they felt at home. They asked questions and sensed God leading them in a journey to Truth.
Here are some things that I recommend doing while you are on that journey:
Baptism
At our church, we place a high value on proclaiming your trust in Jesus by following Him in Baptism. When we baptize, we celebrate. It is a pretty special time. We high-five, eat food, tell stories, and remember how good God is to us. We have a baptism service coming up soon, so I thought I would write a little bit about it:
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
Baptism is an outward proclamation of an inward decision to follow Christ.
WHY DO WE BAPTIZE?
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus talks about baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the first century, baptism was used to show that you were following the teaching of a particular rabbi. Today, we do the same thing. Baptism is an outward proclamation of a personal decision to follow Jesus. After you tell Jesus, "I'm in," you tell the world through baptism.
Ride the Lion
What would it be like to ride a lion? The thought has been with me for a long time and has been closely tied to a growing desire to be a part of some adventure. This is strange, because for years the spirit of adventure has been typified in the individualism of the American cowboy. Mounted on a horse (not a lion), he chooses his own way with bit and a bridle. I've always been taken with this imagery. The courageous life of a man who answers to none but himself sparks that piece of our hearts that thirsts for risk and meaning.
With respect, I don't think that's true adventure. It is certainly exciting, and it made Clint Eastwood famous. But,to give up everything for the pursuit of individualism, for the pursuit of the self seems to be a narrow goal and a wasted sacrifice. What have I gained if at the end of my life I can say that "I did it my way...for me?" At that, my life, my meaning and my pursuits would all end with my death. A pursuit that ends with me is not a pursuit worth my life.
I'm inspired by the truth that real meaning only happens when one gives his life to something greater that himself. This is what I think it would be like to Ride the Lion. A man on a lion doesn't choose his path. He holds on for dear life. He spends no time looking back, because there is no time to look back. Heart beating, hands sweating, he only looks ahead because there is no telling what will come next. He is completely surrendered to the will of the lion. This is true adventure, and I want it!
I am weary of "cowboy" endeavors that start and end with me. I want to see life from the back of the Lion. Not knowing what comes next, I want to live with the excitement that He's going to take me where He wants to go. This blog is a chronicle of my life following Jesus. I am often tempted to let go. Even worse, I sometimes try to turn or tame this Lion. But, ultimately I'm holding on with all I have. I hope my posts inspire you to grab on and hold on!
