After MUCH time off, I am back! So much has happened. I am now living in New Mexico. I have a 4 month old baby girl and I love my life. I love being a wife, stay at home mother, missionary and home educator! I will try to blog on a regular basis.
I wonder why so many people believe the great comission in Matthew and Mark are for “other believers”. People always mention discipleship as the key (”Go therefore and make disciples”), but how can one become a disciple if he is not saved? if he has not repented of sins and trusted in the salvation of Jesus?
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’ However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:14-17 (That passage makes it clear to me that what is called Lifestyle Evangelism is not biblical. If one must hear the Word of God to believe, we must SPEAK, not just live.)
The Great Comission is not for “other believers”. It is for every believer! We can not make disciples unless we first make converts. We can’t make converts unless we leave our Christian bubble and boldly speak with unbelievers.
Charles Spurgeon spoke so boldly about this issue that if some of you read what he said about sharing your faith and being a soul winner, you would probably hate him. Here are two of his more mild thoughts on evangelism:
“Jesus Christ came not into the world for any of these things, but He came to seek and to save that which was lost; and on the same errand He has sent His church, and she is a traitor to the Master who sent her if she is beguiled by the beauties of taste of art to forget that to preach Christ and Him crucified is the only object for which she exists among the sons of men.”
“My soul yearneth that I personally may ’save some’, but broader is my desire than that. I would have every one of you, my beloved friends, associated here in church fellowship, to become spiritual parents of children for God. Oh, that every one of you might ’save some’! Yes, my venerable brethren, you are not too old for service. Yes, my young friends, ye young men and maidens, ye are not too young to be recruits in the King’s service.
If the kingdom is ever to come to our Lord-and come it will- it never will come through a few ministers, missionaries, or evangelists preaching the gospel. It must come through every one of you preaching it-in the shop and by the fireside, when walking abroad and when sitting in the chamber. You must all of you be always endeavoring to ’save some’.” from The Soul Winner, Charles H. Spurgeon
I read this recently and it really struck me, especially because so many preachers today say that repentance is not necessary.
Let every man understand that he will never have remission of sin whle he is in love with sin, and that if he abides in sin, he cannot obtain the pardon of sin. There must be a hatred of sin, a loathing of it, and a turning from it, or it is not blotted out. We are to preach repentance as a duty. He that has sinned is bound to repent of having sinned. It is the least that he can do. How can any man ask God for mercy while he abides in his sin? …
We are also to preach the motives of repentance-that men may not repent from mere fear of Hell, but they must repent of sin itself. Every thief is sorry when he has to go to prison; every murderer is sorry when the noose is about his neck. The sinner must repent, not because of the punishment of sin, but because his sin is sin against a pardoning God, sin against a bleeding Savior, sin against a holy Law, sin against a tender gospel. …
We are to preach repentance in its perpetuity. Repentance is not a grace, which is only to be exercised by us for a week or so at the beginning of our Christian career. It is to attend us all the way to Heaven. Faith and repentance are to be inseparable companions throughout our pilgrimage to glory. …
We are to tell them of the source of repentance, namely, that the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted on high to give repentance and remission of sins… We preach repentance as a fruit of the Spirit, or else we greatly err.
~C.H. Spurgeon
“Love your fellowman, and cry about them if you cannot bring them to Christ. If you cannot save them, you can weep over them. If you cannot give them a drop of water in Hell, you can give them your heart’s tears while they are still in this body.”
“I am told that Christians do not love each other. I am very sorry if that be true, but I rather doubt it, for I suspect that those who do not love each other are not Christians.”
“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.”
I just recently finished reading a book by Noel Piper called, “Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God”. It is a short book that includes 5 short pieces from the lives of women who obeyed God. It is such an encouraging book and so short for a busy mom like me! I will probably quote it a lot, because it was soooo good!
One of the quotes I like so much was in the introduction: “Missionaries are very human folks just doing what they’re asked. Simply a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody.” Jim Elliot
Yesterday while Danny was doing evening devotions with the kids, he shared with them about a new missionary we are supporting through Gospel for Asia. He was talking with the kids about how some people have never heard about Jesus. Anya said, “We have to tell them!” It made us so happy to hear her enthusiasm for telling people about Jesus.
While Danny was continuing to talk about our new missionary and how he walks from village to village telling people about Jesus, Anya had a wonderful suggestion. She said, “We can give him our van and we can use Grammy’s (Danny’s mom) Kia (which wouldn’t even fit all of us!)”. Ethan had a different suggestion, he said, “Anya’s money from her piggy bank can go to Hari (a little boy from India we sponsor through Compassion International) and my money can go to our new missionary!”
It was so amazing for Danny and I to hear the sound of our children being so selfless and willing to give of themselves for other people!
So, this is my first blog, what should I say. I actually don’t have time to say anything. My whole family is sick, Anya and Ethan have nasty coughs, Chloe has a fever, and Danny is getting what they’re getting. So I’ll go now and take care of my 4 children!