Seeing the Extraordinary Through the Ordinary

“Three minutes makes a difference”, I told my wife as she was negotiating with herself this morning about when to get up. I had just popped this thought out at her, not really thinking first. But then I started thinking about how much can change in three minutes. Last night, we watched the news before bed. There was a family featured. This family had been driving home one night when their car struck a deer, flying through their windshield and out of the back window. This only took seconds, but changed their lives, not to mention their view of driving at night, forever. 

I went to my Bible and read Luke 2, later this morning. Jesus had just been born and now the heavenly hosts wanted to rejoice. Shepherds tending their flock at night are terrified, as their ordinary night watch became a visit from an angel declaring the birth of our Lord. “And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them…” Then “… suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God…” These shepherds would never forget these minutes, for as long as they lived. For the shepherds, the sudden visitation altered their course to Bethlehem. 

Imagine what Simeon saw eight days later. He was a righteous man who was given a promise. “And it had been revealed to him (Simeon) by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” I wonder what Simeon’s eyes saw that day? A young couple bringing their first-born son into the temple was an ordinary event. Simeon must have seen these families again and again over his years in the temple. But, there had to have been a moment when Simeon’s attention was brought to the revelation that, “there He is”, this is the Christ! “Then he (Simeon) took Him into his arms, and blessed God”.  These extraordinary minutes were a special blessing to Simeon by God. 

In a moment you can share this very same Christ that Simeon held with another. In a moment, a person can turn from darkness into magnificent light. The Lord does this by the power of the Holy Spirit, yet allows us to participate in sharing this Good News. As you pray to see the extraordinary in the ordinary today, seek to share Jesus Christ with those around you as God provides.

 It only takes a minute! The difference between a Christian and an evangelist is this. When an evangelist sees an opportunity to share Christ with someone and gets a little nervous, they move forward and share Christ anyway. So can you. 

I am collecting stories about how the Lord uses us to share the Gospel in everyday situations. Will you share your story with me? Together we can share Christ with those around us and encourage one another with these stories. 

Marcus.Dahl@yahoo.com

Radical Islam meets Biblical Christianity

We live in confusing times. These are uncertain times. As I write this article, a debate is taking place about building a Mosque within 2 blocks of where the World Trade Center fell. Yet, I’ve read this morning to, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2). Am I to be so heavenly minded that I’m no earthly good? No.

I am commanded to be so heavenly minded  so that I am earthly good. Therefore, how do we live as Biblical Christians and how should our Biblical worldview and love for Christ and for others affect how we live and respond?

Consider this.

The building of a mosque in lower Manhattan doesn’t matter.

The discussion of this project is a victory for radical Islam, whether the physical building is erected or not.

As conservative political radio and Christian radio stews and verbally charges against this proposal, and as politically liberal leaning Americans and liberal Christians bend and contort, the culture continues to be colored and shaped.

Dormant Muslims who may not be Koran literate or observant are further alienated with the United States, its people, and especially Christians. They are further separated most importantly from the eternally saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The god of this world comes to seek, kill and destroy. Satan comes to divide, distract, separate and confuse. The whole world is under the sway of the wicked one. (1 John 5:19).

Christians, let us be reminded that we are to be in the world but not of the world. We have more freedom than millions of Americans, freedom from the law of sin and death. We have a command that other religions don’t have, to love our enemies. We surrender to the one who cannot be usurped by radical Islam, and He offers the forgiveness of sins to all who believe and trust in His Son.

Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins is the answer to this issue. In fact, the Gospel is the answer to every issue.  We’ve been commanded to love one another, even our enemies. We are commanded to set apart Christ as Lord and be ready to give an answer. Christ as Lord means actively setting our minds, plans, and will on the eternal.

So let me ask you this?

Do you love your enemies as Christ has commanded you to do? Have you smiled, greeted, or befriended someone of the Muslim faith?

Recently, the largest denomination in Lutheranism held a conference on evangelism. One of the three keynote speakers is a Muslim. Eboo Patel is the executive director of Interfaith Youth Core.  This denomination promoted working together with Muslims and others for social justice, while respecting the profound differences in faith. This is eternally hazardous for our Muslim friends.

To begin evangelizing, we must work, live, fellowship, invite, and love people of other faiths.

I suggest we actively pray and seek opportunities to do this. While we do this, let us keep our eyes on Jesus and the eternity of others. Let us love more and more people sharing the eternal answer that is found in Christ alone, by faith alone, through grace alone. 

Amen

by Marcus Dahl, August 25th, 2010

The Forgotten Ingredient in Evangelism

Do you have internet access? I remember when I first began using the internet back in 1995. I would carefully type in the “www” or world wide web address to go to a site. Sometimes I would type in the website and then go and a pour a cup of coffee or do some laundry. I did this because it often took five minutes to download one page of text. 

Did you know that now you can download an entire book in a matter of seconds? You can also download a favorite song or even an entire album, I mean an entire cd, or whatever they are called now, in minutes. 

When I was a boy in the 1970’s there was a company in Minnesota called K-Tel. They would sell record albums over the television. You could call a special 800 number or mail your money in to buy music records. 

Delivery after payment was four to six weeks. That’s 30 to 45 days. 

In 1986, my Dad brought home a facsimile machine. This miraculous device had the ability to send a piece of paper over the telephone to another facsimile somewhere else in the world. It took several minutes of screechy noises over the telephone, but it worked. 
Amazing! 

I like to read books made out of paper. I have several underneath my bed, one is from the early 1900’s by R.A. Torrey, titled “How To Work For Christ”. Some of his writings are antiquated, for instance he advises that street cars are not as favorable for witnessing as trains. However, consider his great advice on perseverance given in the following paragraph. 

“Men are not usually won to Christ in a day. You must hold on to men day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year…Study how to get at men who are unreachable. Men who cannot be reached in one way can in another. There are very few men in the world to whose hearts there is not an open door somewhere, if only we will search diligently until we find it. If we cannot get in at the door, perhaps we can break up the roof and get in that way...Take time; never give up; and do thorough work. I waited and watched fifteen long years to get my chance with one man. Never a day passed for all those fifteen years that I did not speak to God about that man. At last my chance came, and it was my privilege to lead him to Christ. He afterwards became a preacher of the Gospel, and is now in heaven.” p.18 

Oh, my fellow Christian. Don’t give up! Take your time. Know that the Lord hears your prayers and is always working. Share and share and share the Gospel, don’t be afraid. Jesus will protect and guide you by his word and Spirit. 

Luke 15:10, “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.” 

Joyful angels, patient and persistent Christians, repentant and forgiven sinners? 

What an amazing Lord and Savior!