Linkage: Speak the Truth

One of the realities about our identities in Christ is the fact that we are His ambassadors.  What this means is that everything we say and do is done as the representative of Jesus Christ.  That should be a sobering thought for each of us as we consider our actions and language and what they reveal about what we believe about Jesus.

That is why I think it is so important for us to ponder these words from Eleanor Daniel in this article published by the Christian Standard.

I have a confession to make. Some days I wonder why I even bother to teach the Word of God to others. I’m not sure they take it in very seriously. 

I’m not talking about teaching the Word to unbelievers. It often takes a long time and a lot of effort for them to come to belief in the Lord and to submit to him. Rather, I’m talking about good people who have been Christians for a long time and who, by all expectations, should demonstrate markedly different behavior than nonbelievers. Nor am I talking about gross sins. 

No, I’m thinking about those who profess to love others and often show it in practical ways, those who claim a deep commitment to Christ and yet gullibly swallow rumors, especially those on the Internet, without question. I’m referring in particular to those who pass along gossip and untruths on the basis of something they have seen on the Internet or on television, or heard on a talk show or other presentation—never once taking the time to check the veracity of the claims.

Continue to read Speak the Truth—Even on the Internet.

Saturday Link: What Baptism Requests

I am back from my 40 day internet fast. I will be sharing my thoughts on my time away on Monday. Today I want to get back into the swing of things and share with you a link that I hope will get you to think.

Baptism can be a difficult issue to discuss. There are different views on the mode and the importance of baptism, but most churches practice some form of baptism. I think John Weartherly wrote a very practical article on the subject for the March 8, 2009 issue of the Christian Standard. This is part of what he writes:

In the early church baptism brought together the core of the gospel message. It declared Jesus as the divine Lord who forgives sins in fulfillment of God’s great promises. At Pentecost Peter began his sermon by quoting Joel 2:32: “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). At the end of the same sermon, he declared, “Repent be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). The Lord who saves is Jesus Christ, from whom in baptism sinners request cleansing from sin, what they desperately need but cannot accomplish themselves.

I encourage you to read the rest of the article: What Baptism Requests Let me know how this squares with your belief about baptism.

Ungranted Prayers

One of the biggest arguments that skeptics use against Christianity is the difference between the promises found in the Bible regarding prayer and reality. If we are honest with ourselves there are time when we wonder if our prayers are making it past the ceiling. It is embarrassing to try to explain the differences between the promises in the Bible and the reality in our lives.

Perhaps part of the reason for this is that the promises we read in the Bible don't say what we think they say. That is what H. Lynn Gardner argues in part one of his article When Our Prayer Requests Are Not Granted. Gardner writes:

People often speak of unanswered prayer. Is this the best term to use? It may wrongly suggest that God is either unable or unwilling to respond to our prayers when he may well answer in ways we do not recognize. Therefore, I prefer to speak of ungranted prayer requests.

Whenever we study the words of Scripture, we need to be careful not to take them out of their context. This is particularly true of Jesus’ prayer promises. Context controls meaning. Each promise should be read in the light of the statements surrounding it. To whom was the promise given? Does the context limit or qualify the meaning? What does the rest of Scripture teach?

Gardner goes on to examine several of the Biblical promises concerning prayer and helps us understand their context. We need to remember this when we get frustrated with our prayers. I encourage you to read When Our Prayer Requests Are Not Granted.