My friend and I currently are dialoging about the resurrection on Facebook.
Check out my note on Facebook and pray God would use this dialogue to work in people's hearts. Please feel free to comment on the note and stand up for truth.
Praise God for the Gospel!
In Him,
Mark
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Rescue the Drowning
This past Wednesday I attended an excellent forum at Summit Church called Send RDU. It centered around the Church's role in spreading the Gospel to the world. JD Greear led the discussion and covered many topics including discerning God's will, vocational ministry and the lost state of the world. Also, he cast his vision for Summit church and said the church plans to plant 1,000 churches within forty years. Praise God! Overall, I found his insights helpful and I felt God used my time at the forum to bring my heart to closer to living out the Great Commission.
God continually burdens my heart for lost people. As I study Scripture more and more, I realize the world is literally drowning in sin apart from Christ. For instance, Romans 14:23 says "everything that does not come from faith is sin." This verse really opened my eyes to the notion of sin. Honestly, I never considered humanitarian efforts in Sudan or government sponsored relief work in New Orleans as sin until I understood this verse. I can see from a human perspective how its hard to acknowledge such 'good' moral acts as sinful. But I think Scripture provides insight into God's perspective because it plainly says everything apart from faith is sin. With this definition of sin, I think the sinfulness of the world becomes obvious. Just think about all of the good moral actions people commit each day apart from faith. According to Romans, these actions are sin! Now add all the other 'bad' sins we easily recognize as Christians such as jealousy, murder, lust, rape, greed, idolatry, pride and theft. Taking all this into account, the world's total depravity becomes clearer.
Therefore, I find it completely necessary to share the good news because Romans 6:23 says "the wages of sin is death," in other words, hell. Hell is a reality and lost people are heading straight for it. Yet, the second part of that same verse says, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." What glorious news! Why wouldn't we share the gift of Jesus Christ with everyone and anyone? Penn Jillette, the famous magician and self-proclaimed atheist, asked this question on a YouTube video to all Christians: If you really believe non-Christians are going to hell for eternity, how much do you have to hate them not to at least share with them about Jesus Christ? I found this question very convicting.
We've got to step up as the body of Christ and start living missionally. We need to make sharing the Gospel our top priority. In Christ name, I pray for God to give us the grace and ability to share the good news through the power of the Holy Spirit!
May the wooden planks of the cross rescue the drowning and may they come to know the precious name of Jesus!
In Him,
Mark
God continually burdens my heart for lost people. As I study Scripture more and more, I realize the world is literally drowning in sin apart from Christ. For instance, Romans 14:23 says "everything that does not come from faith is sin." This verse really opened my eyes to the notion of sin. Honestly, I never considered humanitarian efforts in Sudan or government sponsored relief work in New Orleans as sin until I understood this verse. I can see from a human perspective how its hard to acknowledge such 'good' moral acts as sinful. But I think Scripture provides insight into God's perspective because it plainly says everything apart from faith is sin. With this definition of sin, I think the sinfulness of the world becomes obvious. Just think about all of the good moral actions people commit each day apart from faith. According to Romans, these actions are sin! Now add all the other 'bad' sins we easily recognize as Christians such as jealousy, murder, lust, rape, greed, idolatry, pride and theft. Taking all this into account, the world's total depravity becomes clearer.
Therefore, I find it completely necessary to share the good news because Romans 6:23 says "the wages of sin is death," in other words, hell. Hell is a reality and lost people are heading straight for it. Yet, the second part of that same verse says, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." What glorious news! Why wouldn't we share the gift of Jesus Christ with everyone and anyone? Penn Jillette, the famous magician and self-proclaimed atheist, asked this question on a YouTube video to all Christians: If you really believe non-Christians are going to hell for eternity, how much do you have to hate them not to at least share with them about Jesus Christ? I found this question very convicting.
We've got to step up as the body of Christ and start living missionally. We need to make sharing the Gospel our top priority. In Christ name, I pray for God to give us the grace and ability to share the good news through the power of the Holy Spirit!
May the wooden planks of the cross rescue the drowning and may they come to know the precious name of Jesus!
In Him,
Mark
Sunday, September 6, 2009
What an Opportunity!
This semester I've taken more notice of exchange students because God's burdened my heart to take the Gospel to the unreached and He's sparked my interest in different people groups. I'm still in the process of seeking His will on exactly how He wants to use me but I desire to obey the Great Commission and to spread the Gospel to the ends of the Earth.
In the meantime, I'm interested in serving God where I am today. Recently, He's revealed a huge opportunity for me as a college student to share the Gospel with international exchange students. There are so many here at Carolina! In my classes alone, I've seen several exchange students from Italy, Germany, Denmark, and China. I know God brought all of them to the States for His sovereign reasons and I pray we as His children would faithfully reach out to them in love.
Imagine the far-reaching global impact our faithfulness in obeying His Great Commission could achieve if we sacrificed time to minister to the exchange student population. The possibilities are truly endless. For example, if one of us allows God to use us to make a new disciple from a particular people group, then that disciple can witness to his own people group. Who knows what could happen from that point on?! Just think of how God could use these students to change entire regions of the world for all of eternity!
I'm excited God's already opened the door for me to minister to a Chinese exchange student. I met him this past Wednesday in one of my marketing classes. I hope we form a good relationship and hang out together often this semester. I want to learn more about his life, country, and culture. More importantly, I want to tell him about Christ. Please pray God appoints divine opportunities this semester for me to share the good news of the Gospel with my new friend. Pray God would open the eyes of his heart to the beauty of His Son Jesus Christ!
"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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20
In Him,
Mark
In the meantime, I'm interested in serving God where I am today. Recently, He's revealed a huge opportunity for me as a college student to share the Gospel with international exchange students. There are so many here at Carolina! In my classes alone, I've seen several exchange students from Italy, Germany, Denmark, and China. I know God brought all of them to the States for His sovereign reasons and I pray we as His children would faithfully reach out to them in love.
Imagine the far-reaching global impact our faithfulness in obeying His Great Commission could achieve if we sacrificed time to minister to the exchange student population. The possibilities are truly endless. For example, if one of us allows God to use us to make a new disciple from a particular people group, then that disciple can witness to his own people group. Who knows what could happen from that point on?! Just think of how God could use these students to change entire regions of the world for all of eternity!
I'm excited God's already opened the door for me to minister to a Chinese exchange student. I met him this past Wednesday in one of my marketing classes. I hope we form a good relationship and hang out together often this semester. I want to learn more about his life, country, and culture. More importantly, I want to tell him about Christ. Please pray God appoints divine opportunities this semester for me to share the good news of the Gospel with my new friend. Pray God would open the eyes of his heart to the beauty of His Son Jesus Christ!
"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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20
In Him,
Mark
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Treasuring Christ
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21
Where is your treasure?
I know I struggle with treasuring earthly things. Let me share just one personal example. Often, I find myself consumed with the thoughts of attaining money and the new possibilities it would bring to my life. For instance, I think about how much my life would change if I invented some type of new product and made millions because of it. When I have these thoughts, instantly my heart begins to delight in the imaginary fortune, fame, and security the money would supposedly bring to my life.
But I know in my head the happiness found in wealth is fleeting. It can't fully satisfy. Only the fullness of God can satisfy the human. I pray my heart would fully grasp this truth. I pray for God to open the eyes of my heart to the fullness of His beauty. May my heart see Him and treasure Him above all else!
Check out what else John Piper says:
In Him,
Mark
Matthew 6:19-21
Where is your treasure?
I know I struggle with treasuring earthly things. Let me share just one personal example. Often, I find myself consumed with the thoughts of attaining money and the new possibilities it would bring to my life. For instance, I think about how much my life would change if I invented some type of new product and made millions because of it. When I have these thoughts, instantly my heart begins to delight in the imaginary fortune, fame, and security the money would supposedly bring to my life.
But I know in my head the happiness found in wealth is fleeting. It can't fully satisfy. Only the fullness of God can satisfy the human. I pray my heart would fully grasp this truth. I pray for God to open the eyes of my heart to the fullness of His beauty. May my heart see Him and treasure Him above all else!
Check out what else John Piper says:
In Him,
Mark
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)