Science says we need four things to survive – water, air, food and light.
It is interesting when we compare this to some of the names that Jesus describe Himself as and what God did to Adam when He created him.
John 4:10 NLT – Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
Genesis 2:7 NLT – Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.
John 6:35 NLT – Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 8:12 NLT – Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
One of the things we did at Bible college was to examine reasons why we know that Jesus Christ was a real historical person. We did lectures, wrote assignments and had a number of discussions on this topic.
The above video from Liberty University talks about five reasons why we can know for sure that Jesus was a real historical character and that many of the things he did were true. In ten minutes is looks at these five things.
I really love this short video. It talks about praying for Missionaries and God answering the prayers. It just goes to show how important it is to pray for those on the front lines and how our prayers can make a huge difference.
1 Peter 3:15-16 NLT – Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. [16] But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
As a Christian we are all called to share our faith with others. Some do it from the pulpit, some online, some as missionaries, some with their family and friends, some with work mates. We all have a role to play.
I think we need to understand our call and our role. We are not all called to preach from the pulpit in church, but we all have a “pulpit” where God uses us to reach others for His Kingdom.
One key I believe is to share our faith with gentleness and respect. I think at times we can forget this, especially in the online world. I have seen too many combative videos of people “slamming” down the other person to prove a point and win the argument.
I know God calls some people to be apologists of the faith. Their role is to make a case for the faith we hold as Christians. But this above verse still applies. We need to do it with gentleness and respect. I do not think it is a good example to belittle others online or in person to make a point.
I know from experience that some people are argumentative and they want to debate you on your faith. Often in front of others. I know that is not my role. When this has happened I mostly say if you are genuinely interested we can talk quietly over a coffee, but if you just want to debate, I am not your person.
I find for me that I sow seeds of faith, let people know I am a Christian, try to be a nice person, do good deeds and be open to people asking questions. As the verse above says, “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this with gentleness and respect”.
So, today if you are in a position to share your faith with someone else, remember first and foremost to be kind and gentle. Focus on listening carefully to their questions or objections and respond in a way that is both helpful to their faith journey and honours Jesus.
When I became a Christian back in 1989 I bought myself a cross to wear around my neck. I wanted to show others I was now a person of faith.
The cross I bought was a gold cross with Jesus on it. It was a crucifix. Before long friends at church started saying, “Why are you wearing a cross with Jesus on it? He is not on there any more.”
I thought that is true, He is risen, so I went and bought myself the same cross without Jesus on it. Over time I realised I liked my original crucifix more, so I went back to that one.
I found that some people like the empty cross as it emphasises the Resurrection more. Others prefer the crucifix style as it reminds them that Jesus died on the cross for their sin.
Just like some people have a favourite Bible verse or Bible book or Bible translation, we might have a different style of cross or crucifix we wear.
In the above photo you can see I have three crosses I wear.
The left one is a wooden one I wear around the house or garden when I am working. It reminds me of the humble service that Monks do.
The middle might be for when I go out. It is stainless steal and I like that you can see Jesus’ face and the crown of thorns. I think about His sacrifice for me.
The last one is called a Millennial cross. It shows the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It reminds me that Father sent the Son, Jesus died for me, and the Holy Spirit drew me to Jesus for my salvation.
You might have noticed that two of the crosses have knots in the rope. When I am doing things I often stop to pray. On the first knot I pray the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father), and on the seven smaller ones I pray the Jesus prayer – Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
To me the cross you wear is about your personal preference. It is not about Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox, just wear the one that speaks to you the most. And feel free to chop and change like I do.
Just before I end this post, I had another thought. People tend to ask me more about my faith when I am wearing the Crucifix or the Millennial cross. It seems to stand out more than an empty cross and draws them in to a conversation about faith and life.
