Be a Light for Those Outside the Circle
Off to the side is this poor blind guy (Bartimaeus) who desperately needed Jesus’ help, but Bart was unable to get to him.
How to Win an Argument Like Jesus
Imagine arriving at the coffee pot to pour your morning coffee when, rather than receiving the traditional greeting, you are backed against the wall by some HDIs (highly disgruntled individuals) because you made a really unpopular decision, and now you’ve got to dig your way out… As executives and managers, and simply even spouses and parents, many find themselves in this very position at seemingly the most inopportune times, attempting to dodge the questions, stares, and proverbial knives in the back from once-trusting followers and supporters. Through it all, there’s a felt urgency to secure mutual understanding from sound reasoning.
Let me introduce you to one method (of many!) that Jesus incorporated
Keeping Pace Spiritually in a Physical World
This morning I was drawn to Facebook, finding encouragement in a dear friend who is working out in California, trying to make an impact on lives for God’s glory. Just recently, he was rewarded with several joys as a result of his years of effort – years of hard work, discouragement, and even abandonment because of his non-standard approach. Instantly, I was reminded of Hebrews 12:1-2, which states, …“let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
What a shot to the solar plexus it was, knowing how often I get sidetracked and decide to sit on the sideline, rather than participating in the race. Well, here’s my internal contemplation put into words…
Singleminded vs. Sugar-Coated
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 points to the Apostle Paul’s presentation of the Gospel to the Greeks of his day. He did not go with eloquent words, but he focused on Jesus Christ, the one way of salvation. King David, in Psalm 12, points out that “the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak” (vs. 1b-2).
Now, all can agree that Paul’s methods changed based upon each group of individuals he addressed. He was, after all, “all things to all men” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).