It's the most difficult time of the year

It's the most difficult time of the year for a supervisor--annual assessment time! These assessments determine a civilian employee's salary which can create some strong reactions.

One civilian has been particularly livid about this year's assessment, and it has brought to light a good analogy to evangelism.

Adam* doesn't realize the situation he is in. If his performance doesn't improve in the next year I expect he will be removed or have his salary significantly lowered. This is not just my opinion but the collective decision of all the managers in our organization. As his supervisor, it falls to me to explain this to him and when I did he reacted with tears followed by anger. After a week he's still angry; we're scheduled to talk some more about his situation soon.

The most uncaring thing I could have done in my feedback to him would be to avoid telling him the truth about his unfavorable job situation. There's a strong temptation to take the easy way out of these face-to-face feedback sessions and to soften the truth to avoid offense. If I were to do that, however, a year from now he could be out of a job. But by telling him now about his situation, he has the opportunity to change and stay employed.

Do you see the analogy to evangelism? We know the truth about what happens to people without Christ. It falls to us, in God's providence, to inform those around us about their situation before it's too late to change. Will we do that, or will we take the easy way out and fail this test of tough love?


*Not the employee's real name

John MacArthur & his old football coach

A great story of God's grace...50 years in the making.

John MacArthur - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

A touch of persecution

I started a Bible Study at work two weeks ago. I took great care to be above reproach with this: secured approval from my boss, used no government resources in announcing the study, scheduled it during lunch time, etc.

But today I was told that because I am a supervisor some people are saying that I may start to unfairly reward those that attend the study. These same people called one of the attendees a kiss-up, insinuating he attends the study only to gain favor with his boss.

None of this should be surprising, but it has been a while since I've tasted a bit of slander for obedience to Christ.

Of course my anonymous accusers are right about me. I'm a sinner and so it could be that I may show favortism. But this is not unique. Any supervisor who does anything outside of work with some of his team faces the same temptation. So I'll heed the warning from my accusers and press on as long as God allows.

Lunch with a pilgrim

I enjoyed meeting with a friend from work today to discuss the gospel. He's "interested in religion" and is looking for something to fill an emptiness.

We had an earnest discussion about the God-shaped vacuum in everyone's heart. I feel that this friend was lovingly warned about sin and God was honored with the presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was a joy to share the gospel at length and this time with a friend that in God's providence was interested in hearing it.

An awful subject, but necessary

I had lunch on Friday with a small group of co-workers who poke fun at all sorts of things, and this time, they made fun of religious people, especially those who believe in Hell. What I should have said to them (but didn't) was to ask for their advice. What should a person do who believes that the Bible is true in its teaching on Hell; wouldn't it be unloving not to warn someone? I'm sure many do this in unloving ways, but isn't there a right way to discuss an awful, but necessary subject?

In this video (found on many blogs), an atheist makes a similar point.

Evangelism Linebacker

This copy-cat video of the old Terry Tate commercials is adapted for Christians who neglect evangelism. It's pretty clever.



(HT: Christ is Deeper Still)

No church, no problem? (pt 2)

I'm making a point of inviting more people to church, for two reasons. First, I'd like to see new people added to our number. Second, and more importantly, people need a church.

I've invited two families recently; neither have come (yet). What puzzles me is that both families profess to be Christians and much about their lives back it up. But neither attend any church in town, and they're okay with that. In a city this large with many church choices this strikes me as oddly inconsistent.

The answer to my question

Why aren't Christians in our country persecuted and how do we reconcile that with Scripture's expectation of persecution? When living in the South, the answer given to me was that almost everyone is a Christian. Certainly that is not true in the West.

I now know the actual answer lies in the difference between Paul and me. Wherever he went he knew the people around him needed a Savior and he told them about Jesus. This is why he was persecuted. I am sinfully unlike Paul and that is the answer to my question.

Begone unbelief!

We had the immense pleasure this evening of having a frontier missionary visit our home. He's the kind of guy that so embodies trust in God, love for Christ, and compassion for the lost that I am revealed for what I truly am, a spiritual wimp, a practical-atheist even.

I can't post any details or photos of him and his family because it might risk his ministry in the Muslim country he is returning to. This land is strongly anti-Christian and missions work has been forbidden for decades.

I am so delighted my children got to see him again and learn more of his work and life. I want my children to grow up exposed to risk-taking missionaries, especially those that will play checkers with Isaiah and graciously accept some very poor accommodations for the night.

Tonight I am feeling in desperate need for faith and action. But this feeling will pass too soon, like my friend.

Dealing with old age

I had the opportunity recently to spend some time with an older couple who believe they are near death. The experience changed the way I think about evangelism and the effects of aging. Since this couple hasn't been involved with a church for a long time and doesn't seem to have a healthy personal relationship with the Lord, I wanted to be sure to speak clearly with them about the Gospel.

The Lord certainly opened a door when the husband started out our first evening together by loudly declaring that, "My ways aren't your ways, and I'm too old to change now!" I was taken aback by the sudden outburst, but I came to realize that he was only talking about alcohol (he wrongly assumed I'm a teetotaler), and not the larger matters of the Christian faith. After a few evenings together we were able to have a good discussion about the essentials (Holy God, sinful man, Christ as substitute, and your response to these truths). I believe there may be some fruit of regeneration in this couple's life.

What I took away from our time together is a more sensitive understanding of old age. Many times I would be asked the same question repeatedly within a short amount of time, like "Did you borrow my keys?" When sharing the gospel with the aged (if there is dementia involved) we must be patient and be unperturbed by sudden "resets and replays" in the conversation.

We should also be sympathetic to the annoying physical burdens of advanced age. At the close of one day, the man I was speaking with again apologized needlessly for sipping whisky in my presence and said with some measure of exasperation, "walk a mile in my shoes!" His daily pain and weakening physical abilities should bring out empathy in us, but also an urgency in our appeals to look beyond the grave.

Do we firmly believe that without Christ there is no hope? If so, we must labor in prayer and conversation with those who are obviously very soon to face that reality.

Go to the byways; they may listen

Two verses from my recent devotions motivated me to renew evangelism with my co-workers. One was from the gospel of Mark where Jesus tells the parable of the king's feast. He makes a statement to the effect, "go out to the byways." We are to go out and initiate with people, inviting them to come to the Kingdom of God. The second verse is from my reading of Jeremiah where God tells Jeremiah to speak again, because "they may listen." I thought, "who knows? Even my co-workers may listen!"

I noticed that a co-worker I've been praying and hoping to speak to about Jesus was reading the atheistic-tract The God Delusion by Dawkins. That was a couple of weeks ago. Since then my prayers have included asking God for an opportunity to talk to him about the Christian faith.

I believe God answered that prayer yesterday when late in the day he and I were the only folks in his office area and we were already talking about some other things. I prayed for courage and not to be ashamed of my Lord, and I spoke. It turns out that another co-worker loaned him the book to read (now I'll pray for a chance to speak to him, too) and he hadn't begun it yet. We had a brief conversation in which nothing dramatic happended. But I feel good that I took the opportunity God gave me to speak. If he decides to read Dawkins' book, perhaps my words will make a difference.

The difference 3Ps make

The respected Scottish pastor, John Murray, once asked a new charge the difference between a lecture and a sermon. The new pastor smartly deferred to his senior for the answer. Murray said that 3Ps make all the difference: a personal, passionate, plea.

These 3Ps are also what turns our testimony into evangelism, our Bible reading into devotion, and our thoughts into prayer. Don't forget the 3Ps.

Evangelizing next-door neighbors

I was given an opportunity just a few minutes ago to proclaim the gospel to my next-door neighbor. We have known each other for a few years but have never been close. I find it harder to evangelize people that live close to me (e.g. family, neighbors, co-workers) because of the consequences that sharing the gospel can bring to relationships that you have to live with after you share the gospel.

Admittedly, I was reluctant in turning the conversation with my neighbor back to the gospel again this afternoon. I was able to say more today than I have ever said to him, touching on the holiness of God, my sin, the perfect sacrifice of Christ, and how that changed my life.

His response was essentially "I will stay how I was raised." He mentioned that other faiths have tried to convert him, but he finds it best to stay with the views of his parents.

I feel that our conversation was pretty natural and that it may continue in the future. I will pray for what to say and boldness to say it.

0.6%

That's last year's growth of the denomination that my church represents. We failed to keep up with the rate of population growth in this country. Over eighty percent of PCA churches had less than 5 adult baptisms last year--mine was one of them.

In a recent sermon, Richard Pratt of Reformed Theological Seminary gives several reasons for the lack of growth in the PCA. Mainly, it boils down to self-centeredness. It's apathy for others and --although we deny it-- for God, and a desire for our own ease and prosperity.

When we fail to evangelize not only does God's kingdom in our local church not grow, but also God's kingdom around the world suffers. Because we do not evangelize our churches are too small to do much of anything about reaching Muslims, or Russians, or illegal immigrants, etc, etc.

Dr. Pratt thinks the solution is to evangelize our neighbors, co-workers, and family. I think more will be required to make any difference. We ought to evangelize those in our immediate circles, but we also need open eyes to see unreached mission fields in our environment. For instance, today at the base park I noticed many of the on-base dorm residents walking over to the base exchange. It reminded me of a college campus. Would a RUF-type ministry be effective in reaching the on-base, single military population? It's something to pray and think about.

Two examples of evangelism from last night

Yesterday I was flying back from LA. My team and I were having dinner in a crowded airport restaurant when a man asked if he could sit with us. To shorten the story, he's on staff with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and I hoped to get him to share the gospel with my team since I am somewhat limited in evangelizing those that I supervise. After some small talk about FCA, I gave him an easy set-up by asking how he became a Christian. He gave some personal background and then said that "I asked Jesus in my heart."

Later during the flight I sat beside someone I didn't know but lives close to me. We talked for a while about all kinds of things. I prayed for the Spirit's help in making a gospel connection with him. Then I asked him what he thought of the Christian faith. This gave him a chance to talk about his Catholic upbringing and how he has gotten away from it. I was able to respond to him with an explanation of a holy and just God who will punish sin, our dire situation as sinners, the substitutionary work of Christ on our behalf, and the need to repent of our sins and put our full trust in the work of Jesus.

Any thoughts on the difference between these two approaches?