OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER

"For, while man is a sinner, God has implanted within each of us a conscience, & with it we become responsible for our own actions & chargeable with the responsibility to do mercy, seek justice & walk humbly before our God. We cannot escape the fact that we are our brother's keeper."  John B. Anderson, Men's Devotional Bible

OUR FOCUS

"There are many things you could be anxious & worried about--race relations, politics, pandemics & so much more. Only when we sit at the feet of Jesus, focus on Him & hear His Word can we get the right perspective. We only learn to love our neighbor because Christ loved us (1 John 4:13-21). We trust not in the legs of man (Psalm 147:10) or the power of princes (Psalm 118:9; 146:3) because we fear, love & trust in God above all things. With our eyes thus focused on Jesus & our ears tuned to His Word, we can live in true peace, free from anxiety & trouble, regardless of the chaos around us. Jesus is the good portion, & He will not be taken from you."  Rv. Roy Askins, The Lutheran Witness, Aug. 2020

THE GREAT COMMISSION

"Whenever we think about sharing the gospel, two issues immediately present themselves. The first has to do with content: What is it that needs to be said? The second has to do with communication: How will I say it? Sometimes we also talk about motivation: Why should I say anything at all? The last question becomes increasingly relevant as more and more Christians fear that evangelism is not worth losing one’s friends. All of these issues are important. All of them must be addressed. For the words of the Great Commission are clear: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."(1)

"However, there is one part of sharing the gospel that we rarely hear about. The command to go and make disciples was given to us by a person, by Christ himself. The gospel was not given to us based on our ability to share it. In fact, the Great Commission is sandwiched between two such reminders. Before Jesus tells us to go, he says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (28:18). And then after he tells us to go he powerfully reminds us, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (28:20). Thus, communicating the gospel is first about remembering the authority, power, and presence of the one who calls us to speak . . . 

"Maybe the questions we often ask about evangelism call for a shift in focus. Communicating the gospel as we go about our lives is a command that we have been given. But it is a command given by the one who longs most that the world will hear. It is God who speaks, God who convicts, and God who makes disciples of broken lives. Our gospel has come to us not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. Thus, we do well to ask: Who is it we dare and yet long to speak of? How are we describing this God who is like no other? And most significantly, who are we relying on to do so." Michael Ramsden is President of RZIM.