Christianity Involves More Than Just Outward Expressions of Faith

Many people today identify as Christians, but it's important to consider what that means. Being a Christian is more than just wearing a cross necklace or attending church on Sundays. It's about having a personal, living relationship with Jesus Christ and striving to follow His teachings daily. 

Unfortunately, many who identify as Christians don't necessarily meet this criteria. They may have some knowledge of Christ, but they don't truly know Him personally. 

In a way, they're just fans of Christianity rather than authentic followers. While there's nothing wrong with being a fan per se, it's important to recognize that it's not the same thing as being a true believer.

Admitting the Truth (Video)

The thing about being a Christian is that it doesn't mean I'm perfect. It means admitting the truth: we are all in desperate need of Savior and will continuously pursue Him with our whole beings until His work on earth has been perfected--which is an endless quest!

Believer in Christ vs Follower of Christ (Video)

Many people falsely think that they are Christian by simply believing in Christ. Those who follow Him, however--the faithful followers of Jesus- know what it means to have their lives changed and pursued with an unrelenting passion from deep within themselves because He is worth everything they put down for him!

Qualifications to be a Christian (Video)

 Qualifications to be a Christian. You must be a sinner.

Believers and Not Doubters (Video)

 

In the name of Jesus, we are believers and not Doubters

Stop Being a Benchwarmer for God (Video)

I remember when I went to church early to clean, and when I finished, I went to the sanctuary and began to pray. I was deep in prayer when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

Someone told me that the pastor had sat his garbage outside of his office door and that it needed to be emptied. Did I tell them "to wait a minute and let me get this prayer request in?" Of course not. I jumped up and emptied the garbage can. We are to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. There was a problem, and it needed to be solved, and I did it.

When You Love the Lord

 

When a person loves the Lord, they show it by being faithful, doing things for Him, and spending time with Him.

 

It’s just like when a man loves a woman. He’ll do things for her. Sometimes for no reason at all.

 

That’s how we should be with God.

God Will Honor Your Obedience

 

God will honor your obedience by giving you the love, ability, and lack of fear to do it. We will be uncertain at first, but then it will seem as if we were always doing it.

 

That’s how I felt when I started cleaning the church. Thoughts ran through my mind like,

“Am I cleaning everything?”

“Are we cleaning the pastor’s office this week?”

“Did I forget something?” 

“Did we get the children’s room or the finance room?” 

“Let me see if I can get someone else to clean the men’s room.”

 

But after a while, cleaning the church became second nature.  

Amongst the Sheep

 

Some in leadership are so good at hiding among the sheep that they could skip service, and the sheep do not even know they were not there. And often, even the shepherds don’t know the elders are not there.

 

I think about some people in leadership who scream and holler on Sunday morning, but they are nowhere to be found for bible study.

 

I remember when I worked the second shift, and I was always able to make it to church on Sundays, but I would crave the teachings and fellowship of bible study during the week. My manager usually gave me a day off in the middle of the week twice a month, and you better believe I was at church.

 

And that was when I was still, a visitor, long before I even became a member.

 

I noticed that then and I notice it now.

Are You an Eye Pleaser?

 

Some people place a higher honor on one office of ministry over another. 

It’s like no one wants to work behind the scenes with the children, but they wouldn’t mind being upfront ushering.

 

Churches sometimes have to beg people to help clean the church, but I bet if they said that needed someone to fill in for the pastor while he’s gone on vacation it’ll be a stampede.

Some people are just eye pleasers and don’t realize it (or they do and they do not care).

The Needs in the Ministry

 

Sometimes people will get a “drip” of the anointing, raise their hands to volunteer in the ministry, began having second thoughts and then back out.  

I remember when I volunteered to clean the church partly to stay busy while looking for another job, partly because there was a need in the church and partly because it was time for me to stop being a benchwarmer.

And it was the greatest decision that I ever made. I started receiving blessings from God and favors from man.

I also caught a glimpse of the needs in the ministry. It broke my heart at the gaps and made me realize that God's will and plans were being carried out by me being obedient, and I was apart of it.

Why Are Single Christians Turning To The World for a Mate?

Non-Christians will wonder why I seem to be putting you down in this article, but the truth is that I'm writing this for committed Christians, not those who have nothing to do with God or the Church.

So, I am going to ask the question, "Why are single Christians increasingly turning to non-Christians to seek relationships?" I will also deal with the consequences for the Christians themselves and the wider Church. Finally, I will ask what can be done from an individual perspective and what we can do for each other.

If you have been a single Christian for any length of time, you will know how hard it is (at times) to find suitable marriage partners. There are many reasons for this, not least that there are more women than men in the Church. This unhealthy balance leads to a feminization of Christian things when looked at from a male point of view.

Many men consider Christianity not to be the most masculine of religions, and the Church has its fair share of men dressed in long robes and not enough male role models. Make Church life for Christian men more masculine and active, and you will attract more men into the Church.

So with not enough men coming into the Church and the more masculine men being put off the Church, your average single Christian woman's choice is narrowed considerably. So what is she to do? Prayer is a good start, but without action, it is faith "without works," and faith "without works" doesn't work! So what next? This is where the natural tendency is to get discouraged and start looking outside the Church. This is the chief reason single Christians are going out into the non-Christian world looking for relationships. The result is that they are getting pregnant and marrying un-suitable people who don't share their faith or values. So long-term, this is the cause of many people leaving the Church.

So what can be done about this? My first response is to recommend that they start where they are in their Church and try to get to know everyone they don't yet know. After this, a broader body of local Churches may visit from time to time. Start to network with other people from these Churches who are in the same situation. Organize events, ring each other up, and encourage one another.

Finally, the Internet has enabled many to meet suitable people they would not have otherwise met. Please don't dismiss it. With faith and persistence, it really can work. Don't give up too quickly. Many people expect instant results with the Internet, and this is unrealistic. So take your time and get friends to support your activities prayerfully.

Want to know more? Order Inspiration for Christian Singles

Ever Read the Bible All of the Way Through?

That’s a great question! One that many Christians haven’t much thought about! In fact, the vast majority of Christians have never even considered it, let alone done it.

That’s about to change for many of them!

The reason is because of a new reading program called “Through the Bible . . . as It Happened!” It re-arranges the Bible material into a chronological format. That means the events are re-arranged, so the reader reads them in the order they occurred - much like a novel. The normal way the Bible is arranged is “themed.” That means the material is all put together according to the subject, not according the when it happened.

For example, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles all cover much of the same material. It is a theme: Israel's history from the time of the kings until the country’s dissolution. If read as they appear in the Bible, the reader reads about that history not once, not twice, but three times.  The chronological version puts all of them together seamlessly - so the reader reads that part of Israel’s history just once, and with the ability to compare the nuances of each of the three accountings. And they do differ in many of the details.

That’s just the start of it! Most of the prophets had their ministries during that part of Israel’s existence, but their books appear long after those books, way back in the Old Testament's end section.

The author of the program, David Shreve has put all of those prophetical writings where they belong, verse by verse. It completely changes a person’s understanding of the Bible! The same is true of Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, and the other books of the Old and New Testaments. Each is placed where they occurred. Imagine reading a psalm when the event which precipitated its writing occurred. That psalm just comes to life!

All of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation - has been re-arranged. It’s just fascinating!

And there’s more. The author has filled “Through the Bible . . . as It Happened” with over 1,200 pages of commentary notes, all written by himself. His education comes from Cedarville University, where he received a degree in Bible and in Greek. He has researched and taught the Bible for nearly 50 years, so he is certainly not a novice in this field. He would be described as an evangelical conservative.

This program began in 1974, when there were no chronological Bible reading systems in place, and has been continually revised since that time. Launched to the general public in 2018, it may become a standard in Christian circles.

It is available here.