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Michaela Teaching A Bible Lesson

I do not know who this young girl is.  This picture was found on Photobucket along with the caption.  I wonder if she is teaching a class from church. Maybe she is teaching her brothers and sisters at home. What I do know is that she is following the commandent of Christ to reach out to others with the Word of God. Don’t you think this is a beautiful picture, this young girl, with a Bible in her hands, speaking forth, prophesying the Word? I do.

So, what are we doing? I mean as Christians, what are we doing for Christ?  We banter back and forth and go on and on defending our pet theological positions, but what is being accomplished for the kingdom of God? 

Some go to church on Sundays and think they have fulfilled their religious duty for the week, and because of their attendance on that one day a week, they think are OK with God.  Nothing really happens through the rest of the week. Do they read their Bibles daily, pray and submit their life to God….? What about telling others about Jesus. Witnessing is probably one the hardest things for a lukewarm Christian to do….and why is it so hard? It shouldn’t be.

When you love the Lord, you have a joy in your heart, even in trials and hardships. It should become natural for us to share this with others. The Holy Spirit gives us the words to speak and the tools necessary to do His will … so what is the difficulty here?  Obedience to His Word? An uncommitted life? Unregeneration? Submission?  Sin? It is probably a mixture of all these things that prevent us from going out into the world and revealing with our mouths the glory of God. But emphasis may be placed on the latter.

“Oh, but I witness by being a good Christian and living a good life”, you may say.  “People can see by my example that God works in my life.”  This may be the case but your good example does not get someone else saved, unless they hear the Gospel. There are many good people out their doing “good works” but this won’t save them or anyone else for that matter. Good works without faith is empty.  I read about all the works of the great humanitarians and wonder what their mindset is. Do they pat themselves on the back thinking, “Chalk one up for me and the good guy in the sky”….Do we do the same?  Remember our good works are like filthy rags in the sight of God.  Even in best good intentions are fulled with motives that  are tinged with pride and selfishness.

Lets take a look at words of Jesus right before He left this world and ascended to be at the right hand of the Father where He resides today.

Mark 16:15-16

Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Matthew 28:19-20

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 them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

According to these verses whoever does not believe will be condemned and it is our responsibility to preach the good news of what Jesus did for us so that we can have eternal life. After that believers are to be baptized and taught to obey the teachings of Jesus. Can we do this? Of course we can, Jesus tell us that He is with us till He returns.

About 3 years ago during the lecture at Bible Study our teaching leader stated, “You know that you are now being trained for your own personal ministry.” At first this went over like a lead balloon with me. I did not want to hear this,  but the same statement was repeated again shortly thereafter.  This time there was not a sinking feeling but instead there was a realization that the Holy Spirit was working in me. The time had come to consider what my personal ministry involved and I began to pray about it.

The plan that God has for the Christian today is not different than the believers of the first century. The command of the Great Commission is the same for all time. This command is for every believer. So, I had to ask myself… am I making anyone a disciple of Jesus? Am I teaching anyone to obey the words of the Lord Jesus Christ?  What was my answer? No..not one.

As we can see from the above verses, Jesus is not talking just about missionaries who go abroad, or just pastors or ministers. He is talking about ALL believers.  I know what you are thinking….I am afraid.  But consider Matthew 28:18:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Then add, ” And surely I am with you always.”

As a believer you are set aside for the use of God. You have the Holy Spirit at conversion and are born again. There is a profound awareness of the Spirit which gives us the confidence that we belong to Him. Romans 8:16 says:

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

As a child of God please share the blessings and the truth that you have found in your own life.  Think back and try to remember who told you about Jesus Christ….A preacher? A relative? A friend?  It was someone speaking and teaching the Word of God.

So Jesus is with us. He indwells us through the Holy Spirit. He gives the words to speak, the strength to do His work, and the courage to go boldly and proclaim His glory. He is the great enabler, and I know this so very well because this mouse of a person, who has no words, who has no courage, and is usually trapped by fear, has been able to do and say things that are certainly not of or from myself.

As one who relies on Christ to empower and enable, the promise of His drawing near is sweet and amazing as He fulfills the promise, “I am with you always.”

There is a condition though….please desire to be a clean channel for the Lord to work through. Sin separates us from God and repentance draws us back to Him. Where there is unconfessed sin of yesterday there is no power for today. Until that sin is named and confessed you will have grieved the Holy Spirit and therefore you will not have any true spiritual power. While the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within the believer, it is possible that we are not always walking in the Spirit as commanded.

Too many times, formulas, or phrases weaken our prayers, and these mouthed words have no meaning. So pray ernestly, asking for forgiveness, giving praise and thanksgiving.  Then come to Him with your petitions. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His power for your servanthood. Know that it is nothing of your own making that will change the lives of others. Only God has the power to change lives.

As you spread the word remember the Parable of Sower. There are four different soils that the seed, the Word, lands on.  It is not your concern of what type of soil the Word lands on, but just that the seed is spread.

So what is your decision? Who can you tell about Jesus? A friend, a co-worker, a relative?  God will point them out to you. He will give you the words.

 Rely and trust in the Lord, and He will do the rest.