Simple Faith

I think sometimes we get so caught up in the details of religion and theology, we forget how simple it really is to just believe. Jesus said to come to Him and receive the kingdom of Heaven like a child. There have been sermons preached and books written on childlike faith, but the things that I picture the most are a simple, basic, understanding and a joy and excitement at what we receive. It is good to seek knowledge of scripture and of God, but sometimes we get so concerned over the details and theological nuances that we forget the simple joy of just believing in him. That is what we need to share with others to bring them to salvation - not a detailed explanation of Biblical hermeneutics, but that simple childlike faith of trust and belief.

On of the things that turns many people away from Christianity are all of the disagreements, quibbles over interpretation, and differences between various sects and denominations. Often, we let ourselves focus on these and overlook the simple, basic, truth of the gospel, which all Christians believe in. For a sinner on his way to hell, the precise theology or order or worship is not of the utmost importance, only the knowledge and experience of saving grace is. Theology and distinctives are important, but salvation and belief are the cornerstone of it all.

When praying for the lost, or planning to witness to others, take time to focus on the simple faith of the gospel message. We are all sinners, and have fallen short of God's standards for us and broken His holy law. Because of our sin, we are condemned to death and Hell, and we can do nothing by our own power to change this. Because of His mercy, God sent His only Son to die on the cross as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Through His grace, He will draw us near to Him and save all who confess their sins and believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Once a person believes, repents, and is saved, then they can begin to study and learn about theology and all it's nuances, but it is useless to give a person religion without them having experienced God first.

When witnessing and sharing the gospel, keep in mind the simplicity of childlike faith by picturing how a child would react to a most precious gift. Remember, children are straightforward - they say what they think and feel, without worrying about social conventions or what others may think, while not using false words out of malice or a hidden agenda. We can be straightforward in sharing our faith an an honest, uncompromising manner, and in admitting our own sins in the same way. Children are trusting - they believe that others are straightforward also, and are not automatically skeptical. We can be trusting by believing that God and His Word are trustworthy, and not doubting in any of His promises, especially that of His Salvation. Children have a sense of wonder - they are easily awed by things, and can stand amazed and respectful of the power and glory of that which they can't understand. We can apply that same sense of wonder to God - we don't need to understand every detail about Him or what He is doing, just to allow ourselves to worship His power and majesty and occasionally to just stand there in awe of Him. Children are also easily excited - look at children at play sometimes, especially when they discover something new or receive a gift - they are overwhelmed with joy, and excited to share the news with everyone. In the same we, we should share this excitement about the greatest gift, and greatest life, that we could ever receive, and we should be urged by a childlike excitement to share it with everyone that we know and meet. Be filled with His joy and fully trusting in Him, as a child, and let His power work through you.

Originally posted 7/15/09

How Much of What You Own Belongs to God?

One of the things God's been showing me over the past year or two, and I have been trying to ignore or rationalize away, is that I have a big problem with materialism.

I've tackled some of the clutter at home, tried to cut back on shopping and buying unneeded things, and told myself I was doing all I could or needed to fix it. In the last week or so, it's finally clicked that all the stuff is just a symptom of a greater problem.

The big problem I've had all along is how I view money and possessions. I've always had the attitude that "what's mine is mine", or maybe that 90% was mine and 10% was God's if I was trying to tithe regular. Either way, it all started out with my portion first, and going from that to figure out what i could spare to give to God or to help others. Now I know that I was looking at it all wrong. Everything belongs to God, and even the portion He allows for me to keep is owned by Him. Looking at it that way has really impresses on me the need to be a good steward of what He has given me.

It's been working in two ways in my life. One is to know I need to simplify and get rid of a lot of the excess things I own that are being wasted by not being used and taking up room. The other is that it has freed me to give more to both the church and those in need, because I'm not as worried about holding on to what is "mine". Knowing that all things come from God has freed me to give when I hear of a need and know that He is leading me to help fill it, without being so worried about how my own needs will be met in the future, because I can trust God to provide. This has been a huge blessing for me because, within the space of a week, I literally went from worrying about money and having trouble sleeping to being able to give freely when there was a need to be met, and to relax and know that God will take care of me if I follow His calling to take care of His people.


Originally posted 1/10/11

Checking In

I just wanted to check in and let everyone know things are OK, but I probably won't be blogging much until the end of the year. I'm doing some freelance writing work online now, which is taking more time than I had anticipated. I'm limiting my other computer time because of it, so I can spend time with my son and get things done around the house. I may re-post some older blogs over the next few weeks, and will probably return to regular blogging after the New Year.

Pray for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani - Sentenced to Death In Iran

See update here.

Please join me and others around the world in praying for Youcef Nadarkhani. This young pastor has been imprisoned in Iran since 2009 and is sentenced to death for "apostasy" because he refuses to renounce his Christian faith.

Pastor Youcef was arrested after protesting a decision to force his sons to submit to the teaching of the Koran. He was found guilty of apostasy against the Islamic state for “turning his back on Islam” and “converting Muslims to Christianity" and sentenced to execution by hanging. The court ruling also says that he broke Islamic law by holding home church services to participate in Christian worship and by baptizing himself and others. He has appealed the charges all the way to the Iranian Supreme court, but they have been upheld because he refuses to renounce Christianity (they offered to annul the death sentence if he recanted his beliefs).

Now that news is spreading and Iranian officials are facing international protests, Iranian state media has been accusing Youcef of other charges not found in any of the trial documents. At first, Iran's political media was claiming that Youcf was sentenced for rape and extortion, despite no charges having been made in the judicial branch and no trial for either alleged crime. Now, he is being accused of being a "Zionist" and a threat to national security.

American Center for Law and Justice executive director Jordan Sekulow says, "The charge of being a Zionist and thus a traitor is among the most serious accusations that can be made in Iran. Unfortunately, we know that this is the charge Iran levies to justify executing people who were actually arrested, imprisoned and tried on completely different charges."

It is very clear from the news that the Iranian government intends to execute this innocent young husband and father, so please share this with everyone you can. Inform your congregations and your local news media to help raise awareness and put pressure on the Iranian government. Most importantly, pray for Pastor Youcef and for his family.

• If you are on Facebook, join this group for the latest news updates and information.
• You can also sign petitions against the sentence on PetitionOnline and GoPetition.
• Some people on Facebook & similar sites are changing their user pictures and avatars to a photo of Pastor Youcef to raise awareness. If you would like to do this, you are free to use the image at the top of this post, either "hotlinked" or saved onto your own server.