Never fight alone
Church; connection w Christ
Never be
Never Surrender
Never Surrender
The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. Prov. 24:16
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Published on 4/1/14 11:43 AM
Freedom and Victory: Freedom
Last week, the world's radar was picking up distress signals from Venezuela, Ukraine and Thailand.
Between then and now, the spotlight of focus has been on Russia's recent movement in the Ukraine and the United State's response.
The tension reminds me of something I've only read about.
Between then and now, the spotlight of focus has been on Russia's recent movement in the Ukraine and the United State's response.
The tension reminds me of something I've only read about.
Some are even flirting with the terms "New Cold War" and "World War III".
CRAZY!!!
I thought we were getting better as a society!
What about us being more progressive?
If that were true,
shouldn't we be living in a golden age in history?
A world with less crime, less hurt, less abuse, fewer scandals and no more war?
At least that's what we keep expecting.
Granted, somethings are better for some, but for the majority of the people in the world, life continues as it always has.
Jesus said If the Son makes you free you are free indeed
Proverbs, more than just sayings. Published on 7/4/14 11:31 PM
I used to be one of those kids who wouldn't learn unless it was the hard way. Maybe you didn't have to suffer from bouts of early-onset Hardheadedness, I, however, had it BAD. I can still show you where I scraped my knees from jumping off of a discarded piece of waterlogged plywood that was recommissioned as a ramp for our skateboards and roller-blades (Because we believed raising one side of it on a speed bump actually made it a ramp). Looking back, it was no surprise that my X-games dreams never got any higher than that crummy plywood ramp.
Life gets more difficult the older we get. (Shocking, I know.) We come to a point when learning the hard way has deeper and more lasting scars than just the ones on our knees.
Life gets more difficult the older we get. (Shocking, I know.) We come to a point when learning the hard way has deeper and more lasting scars than just the ones on our knees.
But like John Mayer said, "I know that the heart of life is good"
Other favorite sayings:
"In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you made."
"In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you made."
"Real Gs move in silence like lasagna"
Learn the lesson and don't take the jump off of shitty ramps.
Atoms to Adam Published on 8/13/14 7:21 PM
Most of my adult life has been spent trying to answer the question "What makes life worthwhile?" I think I have the answer?
Before we can answer "What makes life worthwhile?", we must briefly consider the root question: "What makes life?"
Biologically, it's metabolism, reproduction and homeostasis. But these are just the processes that permit life to be sustained. They don't really meaning to life. We can all agree that when
In a
Now no matter what side of the Origin debate you're on, there is one thing we can all agree on: The universe is a strange place. This was made more real to me when I spent the better part of an afternoon contemplating the cosmos thanks to this handy sliding Scale of the Universe. If talking about Planck lengths or Gigaparsecs doesn't move you, nothing will! Those who aren't into that sorta stuff just know that, things get sillier the bigger or smaller we are get.
I mentioned all that science stuff because from this initial question, "What makes life worthwhile?", we ca Very few, but special, people lose sleep over about
Why do we exist?
All of the knowledge and wisdom of the world
If you spend a few minutes considering the shear complexity of what's around us, you'll probably get a headache. After your brain stops exploding you'll notice that we live in a universe of extremes. From the tiniest theoretical one-dimensional strings that vibrate to make all possible dimensions, to the
we could argue about the different aspects within relationships like trust respect, care,
jackie robinson once said "a life is not inportant except by the impact is has on another"
Before we can answer "What makes life worthwhile?", we must briefly consider the root question: "What makes life?"
Biologically, it's metabolism, reproduction and homeostasis. But these are just the processes that permit life to be sustained. They don't really meaning to life. We can all agree that when
In a
Now no matter what side of the Origin debate you're on, there is one thing we can all agree on: The universe is a strange place. This was made more real to me when I spent the better part of an afternoon contemplating the cosmos thanks to this handy sliding Scale of the Universe. If talking about Planck lengths or Gigaparsecs doesn't move you, nothing will! Those who aren't into that sorta stuff just know that, things get sillier the bigger or smaller we are get.
I mentioned all that science stuff because from this initial question, "What makes life worthwhile?", we ca Very few, but special, people lose sleep over about
Why do we exist?
All of the knowledge and wisdom of the world
If you spend a few minutes considering the shear complexity of what's around us, you'll probably get a headache. After your brain stops exploding you'll notice that we live in a universe of extremes. From the tiniest theoretical one-dimensional strings that vibrate to make all possible dimensions, to the
we could argue about the different aspects within relationships like trust respect, care,
jackie robinson once said "a life is not inportant except by the impact is has on another"
marriage? Published on 3/3/15 2:17 PM
So, we've taken a few months off to get into the swing of married living. I have to say, being married is the BEST! Not only is the saying "Sleepover with your best friend forever" cliche, it's also true. Marriage has helped me appreciate the different types of relationships in my life.
Church Problems Published on 3/3/15 2:44 PM
!) Understand that the struggle is not yours.
2) Pray for wisdom
3) remember that you
3) Talk with the person
4) Find common ground
5) Maintain boundries
2) Pray for wisdom
3) remember that you
3) Talk with the person
4) Find common ground
5) Maintain boundries
How one leader can make more. Published on 3/12/15 11:19 PM
Does being a leader of the church mean you should only lead those who are IN the church?
Does the focus fall on the haves and hope that others remember the have-nots?
Who can be trusted to be the leaders for the ones not totally considered 'core' yet still active in the church?
Give leaders support and attainable goals and expectations.
Be proactive in building leaders. the saying "You can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink" may be true, rest assured it will take a sip when it starts to feel thirsty. If you have presented yourself as a safe and trustworthy well, the parched and weary person will know where to drink.
Does the focus fall on the haves and hope that others remember the have-nots?
Who can be trusted to be the leaders for the ones not totally considered 'core' yet still active in the church?
Give leaders support and attainable goals and expectations.
Be proactive in building leaders. the saying "You can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink" may be true, rest assured it will take a sip when it starts to feel thirsty. If you have presented yourself as a safe and trustworthy well, the parched and weary person will know where to drink.
Working with people Published on 4/20/15 6:06 AM
The hardest thing about working with people is working with people. In my few years of working experience, the complaint I've heard most was about people.
The New Social Activism Published on 10/24/15 12:33 AM
The idea of the hero seems to be the main driving force behind todays culture.
In an age where all you have to do to call yourself a hero is pay a donation or download an app, the selfsacrifing nature long associated with Heroism has been shed.
It seems like doing things for others has more appeal for the self gratification that genuine altruism.
Self, identify. Published on 10/24/15 12:37 AM
I like to ask questions.
One of the questions that regularly pops into my mind "Who am I?"
I try to answer this question as simply as I know how. I start with what I think are concrete facts. like: I have brown eyes, my hair is thinning and I have Y-chromosomes.
Love by sacrifice Published on 5/24/14 5:49 PM
That's slightly further than LA is to Albany.
We've totaled 48 hours behind the wheel in a marathon of driving from Chattanooga to Manhattan to Silver Spring to Chattanooga to Tulsa to Fort Worth to Dallas then back to Fort Worth a couple of times.
My fiancee has been within three feet of me the whole time as my co-pilot and neither of us has yet considered throwing the other down a well. That's a REAL miracle!
I have only one brother, He's awesome. I also have two best friends. Their names are Steve and Jonathan. They've never met and live at opposite ends of the U.S. but they're united through me. Theses guys are so special to me that if I could have picked my family I would add Steve and Jonathan to the Fernandez clan.
It was exciting when Steve called me one evening and broke the news that he was going to propose to Lyn, is girlfriend at the time. I wasn't surprised because they'd been togeher for about 5 years-ish.
It was exciting when Steve called me one evening and broke the news that he was going to propose to Lyn, is girlfriend at the time. I wasn't surprised because they'd been togeher for about 5 years-ish.
I WAS surprised when, the next week, Jon sent me a picture of a VERY nice engagement ring. I called him back and he told me about his elaborate plan to set her family and friends around as different stages she needed to go through before finally getting to him serenading her and popping the question.
I knew I couldn't miss their respective special days.
We go to great lengths and sacrifice for the people we love. Today, for me, it's because of friendship. Others fight the fears that have kept them away from others to be with the one that they choose to love and trust. Through out each
Why don't my prayers have power?
From Feb 8, 2014:
Have you ever wondered why sometimes it feels like your prayers don't go past the ceiling, but then hear stories from different people about how God had shown up in THEIR lives?
Do your friends tell you about how God had answered a prayer for strength?
Or do they often remember a specific incident, then boast about God's providence through it?
Has it happened that others testify about how God had spoken to them through some voice or given some sign when they 'needed it most'?
Do your friends tell you about how God had answered a prayer for strength?
Or do they often remember a specific incident, then boast about God's providence through it?
Has it happened that others testify about how God had spoken to them through some voice or given some sign when they 'needed it most'?
Do you wonder why this hasn't been your experience?
Do you remember the last time prayer "worked" for you??
SCRATCH THAT
Can you even mention the FIRST time that worked for you?
Why is it that so many people haven't experienced anything memorable from prayer!?
No lightning bolt from heaven.
No fire, earthquake, or raging wind.
Not even a still, small voice,
in the emptiness of a bedroom?
Do you remember the last time prayer "worked" for you??
Can you even mention the FIRST time that worked for you?
Why is it that so many people haven't experienced anything memorable from prayer!?
No lightning bolt from heaven.
No fire, earthquake, or raging wind.
Not even a still, small voice,
in the emptiness of a bedroom?
However, many times we remember about all the times we prayed, and prayed, and prayed but didn't get what we wanted.
We remember our lists of good and bad deeds done and wonder why we have so many unanswered prayers.
We most remember all the times we fell far from God.
We remember our lists of good and bad deeds done and wonder why we have so many unanswered prayers.
We most remember all the times we fell far from God.
Have you ever heard about how God had done miraculous things through the lives of others and wondered...
"WHY DON'T MY PRAYERS HAVE POWER?"
In the book of Luke, chapter 11, an unnamed disciple seems to have this same thought.
The scripture reads:
The scripture reads:
Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:
“Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done here on earth, as it is done in heaven. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.”
Here Jesus repeats a prayer that he had taught in the early part of his public ministry. Jesus is not say anything new to this disciple.
In fact, Jesus had already sent out his disciples to do public ministry, TWICE!
This disciple had seen Jesus pray and witnessed lives get changed.
He had seen people under the bondage of sin forgiven and freed by the power of God!
He had probably also been with the other disciples as their prayers were answered!
Sometimes when I don't get my prayers answered the way they should, I start resorting to "desperate measures."
I try taking my trust in God as a hostage.
I've even said things like:
"God, if I don't get what I want by the time I say AMEN, I'm going to have to do this on my own . . . Amen . . . ."Maybe you've said something like this too.
So the Jesus tells a story to help explain prayer!
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit,
When we don't know God as our Father who loves us, we feel like He is a distant neighbor and treat him a such.
Someone we go to when our food is running low and were in danger of losing face
when we are not in right relationship with God we have to beg and pester and knock on Gods door. But Jesus came to turn fallen people into sons and daughter of God. His love brigs us to love God and love others. We will give what we have received because that's how our father is. We don't stand outside begging, we are in the house trusting our father to provide our needs. Christ wants to make you a son a daughter. If you are outside , come to Jesus. If you have no strength, come to Jesus. Someone we go to when our food is running low and were in danger of losing face
We MUST ask for the Holy Spirit because
Purpose of pray is not for us to coax god to give us what we want.
But for us to be open to receive what he want to give.
We pray not because HE needs it But because we need HIM
Even when you don’t get what you want, the process of prayer strengthens your relationship with Him.
If you lose your hold of prayer, you lose your hold of God. You can read all the bible you want.
Give us the strength to stand thought this assail us;
He loves you more than that broken family you come from ever could
Let your prayer be, "Take me, O Lord, as completely yours. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Stay with me, and let all my work be shaped in you."
Rom 8:26,27 says the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
Written in 2014
I'm just going to write this thing.
is what i keep telling myself at least twice a week. there are times when i sit here with the computer open, browser readied to a new draft, and then i just open a new tab. i have a chance to write, but instead of going through the work of committing to the work, I get overwhelmed. this has been the rest of my writing process:
is what i keep telling myself at least twice a week. there are times when i sit here with the computer open, browser readied to a new draft, and then i just open a new tab. i have a chance to write, but instead of going through the work of committing to the work, I get overwhelmed. this has been the rest of my writing process:
- Write a few overview sentences with the main idea i want to write about.
- Write the first sentence of my (soon-to-be fantastic) introductory paragraph underneath the overview.
- look at what i wrote and try to find better words to use.
- delete all of it.
- try again
- repeat step 2 to 5 until i finally find myself tabbed over to Twitter.
Granted, the system is flawed but it's been the only system I've known thus far.
I'm gonna paste the 16 ideas i have sitting in my drafts and i'll decide after two weeks which one to finish. here goes:
Updates
It's been a minute.
Life changes:
- Married 11 years
- Baby (2yr old)
- Deconstructed from Adventist
- Changed careers a couple of times and am now in cybersecurity sales
- Made amazing friends for life
Besides that, I'm still the same me.
Learned more about the world and myself, to the point that I feel like I can relate to MOST people and make genuine friendships with all kinds of folks.
I'm living a life that I once only dreamed of and would only be happier with more time with my girls and doing the other fun things I've taken up like golfing, or gaming.
Change and taxes are the only constants in this life. Lean in and ride the waves.
It's all good.
Missed y'all, I'll try to post more.
Peace and Love,
E
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Re-Up
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| Credit to Kristina B. |
Truth be told, I turned my brain off a while back in an
attempt to minimize stress as life became busier and more complicated. I was
SUPER apprehensive about getting back into blogging. I've told myself every
excuse in the book. (Literally! Check out his book!)
Welp. Life is still busy and just as complicated. Actually,
it’s even more complicated. But I want to try to blog in order to help me organize
my thoughts a bit better. God has shown me the benefits of community. I hope to
share my thoughts through this blog and maybe you will feel like you resonate
with what I’m sharing.
Stick around. I'd love to hear feedback.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
3 essencial best friend traits.
There's a saying in Spanish that says "Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres."
It translates to "tell me who you're with and I'll tell you who you are."
Life gives us certain choices. Few choices are more important than who you choose to call "friend." We share laughs, tears and secrets with friends as we go through life together. Even those who may have a great relationship with their families know that there are somethings you can tell a friend that you CAN'T EVER tell your family.
Besides being loving, here are the 3 essential traits every best friend should have:
1) Honest.
A best friend needs to be able to tell you when you have broccoli in your teach or have your zipper down without making you feel embarrassed about it. If your friend can't tell you the truth, especially when you need it the most. Having someone who can be honest about your flaws will help you appreciate who you are and and what you both bring to the table.
Prov. 27:6."Wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy!"
2) Uplifting.
Life is difficult, it's dangerous to go alone. Take a friend who will be able to raise your spirits and inspire you to higher and better things. Sometimes it helps if you can laugh at the same things too!
Ecc. 4:10"If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up."
3) Consistent.
A friend will be there for you no matter what! No kind of nearness, distance, money or relationships should get in the way of a true best friend. It's a special thing when you go a while without talking to that special friend but you know that as soon as you make that call you both will be talking as if no time ever passed. Fake friends are no friends so if there are people in your life who only check up on you to hear about the latest drama in your life, keep them at a safe distance behind your trust bubble.
The people you surround yourself with are a reflection of who you are or hope to be. Be with people who encourage you to be your best self. Surround yourself with people who are striving for the same thing you are. The reward is not in the destination, but through the journey.
The Bible says a lot about friendship and relationship and we'll explore that in the future posts.
It translates to "tell me who you're with and I'll tell you who you are."
Life gives us certain choices. Few choices are more important than who you choose to call "friend." We share laughs, tears and secrets with friends as we go through life together. Even those who may have a great relationship with their families know that there are somethings you can tell a friend that you CAN'T EVER tell your family.
Besides being loving, here are the 3 essential traits every best friend should have:
1) Honest.
A best friend needs to be able to tell you when you have broccoli in your teach or have your zipper down without making you feel embarrassed about it. If your friend can't tell you the truth, especially when you need it the most. Having someone who can be honest about your flaws will help you appreciate who you are and and what you both bring to the table.
Prov. 27:6."Wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy!"
2) Uplifting.
Life is difficult, it's dangerous to go alone. Take a friend who will be able to raise your spirits and inspire you to higher and better things. Sometimes it helps if you can laugh at the same things too!
Ecc. 4:10"If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up."
3) Consistent.
A friend will be there for you no matter what! No kind of nearness, distance, money or relationships should get in the way of a true best friend. It's a special thing when you go a while without talking to that special friend but you know that as soon as you make that call you both will be talking as if no time ever passed. Fake friends are no friends so if there are people in your life who only check up on you to hear about the latest drama in your life, keep them at a safe distance behind your trust bubble.
Proverbs 17:17
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
The people you surround yourself with are a reflection of who you are or hope to be. Be with people who encourage you to be your best self. Surround yourself with people who are striving for the same thing you are. The reward is not in the destination, but through the journey.
The Bible says a lot about friendship and relationship and we'll explore that in the future posts.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Graduation Thoughts
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| WOOOHOOOO!!! |
When I think about the fact that, yes I really did graduate a week ago, I remember the struggles and victories that brought me to that moment in time when I walked across that stage in front of my friends and family.
I have been a student at four colleges/universities, several half semesters, took a couple of years off, lived defying God for some time, changed my declared major three times, and was academically dismissed from the university I would eventually graduate from 7 years later.
Through it all God has proven time and again that He's faithful even when I'm not.
He has exposed me to ideas and situations that have broadened my mind. Placed amazing friends in my way and surrounded me with the right support. He's taken me on some epic adventures and travels. But best of all, He's taught me the beauty of who He is and the true meaning of grace and redemption in Jesus. Soon I'll be married to the most beautiful woman in the world. We'll have a new life, in a new city, and make new friends near a Florida beach.
But things won't be sunshine and sandy beaches all the time. We can always expect to see the storms of life roll in. Adversity will come our way. When it does, I want to remember what God has brought me through. It's what helps me to know that my God is faithful and that I must respond with trusting His ways.
No matter how bumpy the road my be for you, remember the blessings God has done in the past and believe that following Him will bring blessings unimaginable!
We can live faithfully because, no matter what, God is faithful!
He has exposed me to ideas and situations that have broadened my mind. Placed amazing friends in my way and surrounded me with the right support. He's taken me on some epic adventures and travels. But best of all, He's taught me the beauty of who He is and the true meaning of grace and redemption in Jesus. Soon I'll be married to the most beautiful woman in the world. We'll have a new life, in a new city, and make new friends near a Florida beach.
But things won't be sunshine and sandy beaches all the time. We can always expect to see the storms of life roll in. Adversity will come our way. When it does, I want to remember what God has brought me through. It's what helps me to know that my God is faithful and that I must respond with trusting His ways.
No matter how bumpy the road my be for you, remember the blessings God has done in the past and believe that following Him will bring blessings unimaginable!
We can live faithfully because, no matter what, God is faithful!
Psalm 42
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
Thoughts about communion
I'm amazed at how God is so merciful with us. This week is been one of the most challenging weeks of my memory and yet here I am blessed beyond belief, with a new guitar and the hope of my Savior's soon return. The Lord has really blessed me to have a family with my local church. I love and cherish my blood family and extended family gotten will soon give me but there is something special about being part of the body of the bride of Christ. This evening I was able to share my heart with a brother in the faith and know that I was truly in the presence of something divine. God listened to our prayers and we were both changed and moved by the simple act of it! This evening I hope you may all be blessed knowing that God hears and cares about each one of you prayers. Turn away from saying and come to him. It's simple as that. He is the one who will give you strength to overcome anything in your life. I hope to speak more about this soon but for now, remember …Jesus loves you.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Pause in action
If you keep up with this blog you would have noticed that the frequency of posts has diminished. This is due to the fact that I am one month away from graduating with my bachelors degree, almost 2 months away from getting married, and there are many other transitional things happening in my life at this point. Thank you for your support and your present be appreciated. I hope to keep blogging more soon. Thanks for your patience!
Blessings
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Run, to win. Corre, para ganar.
I haven't been able to post lately as I was working on this sermon. Here it is in its entirety!
It's a sermon (mostly) in Spanish about running the race of faith.
Be blessed!
It's a sermon (mostly) in Spanish about running the race of faith.
Be blessed!
EF
Friday, March 14, 2014
Friday Findings: Speaking the Truth in Love
I really enjoy sharing these awesome blogs known as Friday Findings!
Tonight's FF comes from Matthew Shallenberger's blog: In This Atmosphere.
I'm following this blog and it's been SUCH a huge blessing, I know you'll benefit from it too.
EF
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Eph. 4:15).
What does it mean to speak the truth in love? How do we confront people with the convicting testimony of God’s Word while remaining compassionate and caring? Is it a matter of somehow balancing truth and love (as if they’re competing concepts)? Is it a matter of presenting truth in the most loving way possible? Are there times we hold back the truth in order to be loving?
Some will insist that the most loving thing to do is to tell the “straight testimony” without pulling any punches. If people have a desire to know and follow the truth, then it won’t matter if our presentation is a little rough around the edges. We shouldn’t be concerned with pleasing the masses. Truth confronts and convicts, so just let ‘em have it, and let the chips fall where they may.
Truth does indeed confront and convict; there’s no doubt about that. But there’s a question that has been nagging in my mind for a little while now. It comes from putting together a couple of fundamental biblical principles. The first is found in John 14:6: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” Truth is actually a Person—Jesus Christ—and not merely a set of facts. So if I really want to tell people the truth, I have to introduce them to Jesus.
The second biblical principle comes from 1 John 4:8: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Not only is Jesus the truth, He is also love. So here’s the question: If I speak the truth, but not in love, is it still the truth? In other words, if my presentation of the truth fails to convey the love of Jesus, then I’ve left out a fundamental aspect of God’s character. And if I’ve misrepresented God’s character, then have I really communicated the truth, since Jesus, and not mere facts, is the truth?
Now, the “straight testimony” folks would probably argue that we could take this love thing to an extreme and never really confront sin because we’re too busy trying not to offend. They have a point—but only because we humans have a hard time understanding what love really means. Loving someone does not mean enabling them to continue doing what’s wrong. We don’t need to counterbalance love with truth, or vice versa; rather, we need a right understanding of God’s love.
So the question remains. My belief right now is that if I merely present a set of facts but I don’t demonstrate the love of Jesus, then I haven’t actually spoken the truth at all. I’ve only misrepresented the truth, because I’ve reduced it to mere propositions. Those things don’t cease to be true if I don’t speak them in love. But I haven’t actually spoken the whole truth if I don’t speak it in love.
Believing in facts will not save us; believing in Jesus will. I challenge you to consider how you speak the truth to others. Are you presenting truth the Person, or truth the proposition? Look at the last part of Ephesians 4:15, the verse I quoted in the beginning. It says that the goal of speaking the truth in love is for all of us together to mature into the body of Christ. We will become like Jesus! Let’s imitate His example. That’s the best way to ensure that we’re always speaking the truth in love.
Tonight's FF comes from Matthew Shallenberger's blog: In This Atmosphere.
I'm following this blog and it's been SUCH a huge blessing, I know you'll benefit from it too.
EF
Speaking the Truth in Love
What does it mean to speak the truth in love? How do we confront people with the convicting testimony of God’s Word while remaining compassionate and caring? Is it a matter of somehow balancing truth and love (as if they’re competing concepts)? Is it a matter of presenting truth in the most loving way possible? Are there times we hold back the truth in order to be loving?
Some will insist that the most loving thing to do is to tell the “straight testimony” without pulling any punches. If people have a desire to know and follow the truth, then it won’t matter if our presentation is a little rough around the edges. We shouldn’t be concerned with pleasing the masses. Truth confronts and convicts, so just let ‘em have it, and let the chips fall where they may.
Truth does indeed confront and convict; there’s no doubt about that. But there’s a question that has been nagging in my mind for a little while now. It comes from putting together a couple of fundamental biblical principles. The first is found in John 14:6: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” Truth is actually a Person—Jesus Christ—and not merely a set of facts. So if I really want to tell people the truth, I have to introduce them to Jesus.
The second biblical principle comes from 1 John 4:8: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Not only is Jesus the truth, He is also love. So here’s the question: If I speak the truth, but not in love, is it still the truth? In other words, if my presentation of the truth fails to convey the love of Jesus, then I’ve left out a fundamental aspect of God’s character. And if I’ve misrepresented God’s character, then have I really communicated the truth, since Jesus, and not mere facts, is the truth?
Now, the “straight testimony” folks would probably argue that we could take this love thing to an extreme and never really confront sin because we’re too busy trying not to offend. They have a point—but only because we humans have a hard time understanding what love really means. Loving someone does not mean enabling them to continue doing what’s wrong. We don’t need to counterbalance love with truth, or vice versa; rather, we need a right understanding of God’s love.
So the question remains. My belief right now is that if I merely present a set of facts but I don’t demonstrate the love of Jesus, then I haven’t actually spoken the truth at all. I’ve only misrepresented the truth, because I’ve reduced it to mere propositions. Those things don’t cease to be true if I don’t speak them in love. But I haven’t actually spoken the whole truth if I don’t speak it in love.
Believing in facts will not save us; believing in Jesus will. I challenge you to consider how you speak the truth to others. Are you presenting truth the Person, or truth the proposition? Look at the last part of Ephesians 4:15, the verse I quoted in the beginning. It says that the goal of speaking the truth in love is for all of us together to mature into the body of Christ. We will become like Jesus! Let’s imitate His example. That’s the best way to ensure that we’re always speaking the truth in love.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Sorry Friday Finders
This Finding Finding has been put on hold. It's been a hectic week preparing for a seminar I will be presenting this weekend and life transitions. So if you're up for it, maybe you can find something for me this weekend! Let's share some insight you may have on the book of Mathew. Read it, reread it, and then go ahead and leave a comment if you find anything interesting or curious.
Hope you all have a great weekend. Happy Sabbath!
EF
Friday, February 28, 2014
Friday Finding: A Life Long Battle with Legalism
Friday Finding slidding in JUST before midnight so it still counts!
It's been a LONG week and I know this will bless you the way it blessed me.
Thanks for the great content Marcos!
Click here to go to the original post.
The following is a book review I [Marcos] wrote on the book "John Wesley, A Biography" by Stephen Tomkins.
John Wesley, A Biography, written by Stephen Tomkins, is an excellent biography of John Wesley, one of the fathers of evangelicalism. Tomkins, though negatively biased toward Wesley's theology, brings an authentic flavor to the telling of his story. Rather than presenting him as a hero without warts, Tomkins pours through Wesley's journals and stories in an attempt to paint the man as realistically as possible. The end result is a picture of a man far from perfect-though he preached perfection-and far from confident in his walk with God-though he preached faith. And yet, we also see a man so committed to Christ that few have ever matched his sacrifice and zeal for the work of the gospel.
John Wesley, A Biography is a chronological retelling of the life of Wesley. Tomkins looks not only at Wesley's teachings and adventures as a Methodist preacher, but also his childhood, love life, emotional life, spiritual journey, and family relationships. Due to lack of space I will focus on that which is of most interest to me: his faith journey and his lifelong battle with legalism.
John Wesley was born into an Anglican family that was, for lack of a better word, dysfunctional. According to Tomkins, Wesley's father, Samuel Wesley, once separated from his wife, without intending to return, because she did not support the new king of England and would not pray for him. "You and I must part," said Samuel, "for if we have two kings, we must have two beds" (10). But after his house nearly burned down during a visit Samuel decided to stay and take care of his family. "Less than a year later, on 28 June 1703, John Wesley was born" (11).
Wesley's childhood was loving, but stringent. According to Tomkins, his upbringing was exceedingly strict even by the standard of his day. Susanna, Wesley's mother, believed that children were naturally wicked and rebellious. As a result, Susanna sought to do a type of behavior modification by forcing her children's wills to incline toward good. Her parenting philosophy is summarized in her own words: "Break the will, if you will not damn the child" (13). Tomkins writes:
The strictness of his childhood did not end with adolescence or even adulthood. As a young man, before his conversion, Wesley dedicated himself, while studying at Oxford, to living a holy life. With holiness as his ultimate goal in life Wesley became quite fanatical. Of this time Tomkins writes, "he grew ever stricter on himself, writing a new self-catechism to review not only his daily deeds but also if his motives were sufficiently directed to the glory of God. He discouraged visitors to his room who might waste his time, and abandoned such frivolities as cards and dancing" (32). And yet this was only the beginning. Tomkins describes the evolution of Wesley's fanaticism stating, "As his goals were elevated, his self-analysis and self-discipline were turning into obsessions... He now updated his spiritual audit on an hourly basis and not only noted his successes and failures, but gave himself a score out of nine" (38).
This severe approach to Christianity continued for many years. However, events in Wesley's life began to change his theology and reveal to him a more joyful religion. It all began with Wesley's missionary voyage to America. During the journey Wesley's ship was caught in a fearful storm. Wesley feared for his life but he noticed a company whom didn't seem frightened at all. Wesley inquired as to the source of their super-natural peace and discovered them to be Moravians; followers of Luther, whose religion placed an "emphasis on justification by faith that the English church [to which Wesley belonged] had lost" (46). It was this confidence in salvation that gave them peace in the face of death. However, it was not until much later, in the midst of another spiritual crisis, that light shone for Wesley as he heard a Moravian "reading from Luther's Preface to Romans" (61). The experience was to be a life changing one. Wesley writes:
However, and here is where I appreciate Tomkins genuine portrayal of Wesley, this experience was not the end of Wesley's struggle with legalism. Unlike those who would like to romanticize Wesley's conversion, Tomkins has no quarrels with diminishing its grand impression upon Wesley's story by admitting that he continued, for the rest of his life, to bounce back and forth between grace alone and grace and works.
Some assume that Wesley was simply a legalist. According to Tomkins, "The traditional evangelical understanding of [Wesley]... is that he was attempting salvation by works" (43). This is said to be the case even after his conversion and is admittedly Tomkins bias. I however have a different theory. Having been raised in a similar fashion to Wesley I also have found it a great struggle to overcome my natural legalistic inclinations and trust in Christ alone for salvation even under the light of gospel freedom. Therefore, in my point of view, it is as a result of his upbringing that Wesley struggled with legalism most of his life. In short, I believe his struggle with legalism was due to psychological factors, not theological failure. The overbearing discipline instilled in his mind as a child formed a lifelong habit of fanatical austerity that he never, even under the light of gospel freedom, seemed to escape for long.
But how is it that the gospel was never able to set Wesley completely free from the Pharisee within? Apart from his natural tendency toward legal religion instilled into his childhood psyche by his legalistic mother, there is another factor that I believe to be the main culprit: Wesley never seemed to learn that faith and feeling are complementary, not synonymous. All of his life Wesley seems to have been dependent on his emotions to reveal to him the state of his soul rather than to depend fully and totally on the promise of God despite what his emotions told him. It is my theory that Wesley was inclined toward grace when he felt close to God, but whenever he felt far from God he would default to the rigid lifestyle of his earlier years as a way of feeling close to God again. The tragedy of this deceptive flaw is that even after years of enduring hardship, persecution, and deadly mobs for the cause of Christ, Wesley poured out his heart to his brother Charles saying:
Tomkins is therefore right when he says, "What a desolate spectacle... It is pitiful to see his faith, even after all these years, still so dependent on the vicissitudes of his emotions" (169). This was Wesley's downfall. He never realized, at least in an experiential manner, that feelings are never to be the grounds of our walk with God. They can come and go as easily as the wind shifts. We must learn to trust God's promises even when we cannot feel them to be true.
Even in the midst of this Wesley remained faithful to the Lord until his dying day. On Tuesday 1 March 1791 Wesley approached the end of his life. Weak, ill, and worn from a life of service he found himself unable even to write. "'After a last 'Farewell'', he died on Wednesday morning" (194).
While I have, up to this point, expressed my appreciation for Tomkins biography I do have one major point of contention with him: the way in which he dealt with Wesley's doctrine of perfection. Tomkins anti-perfection bias, in my opinion, prevented him from honestly assessing Wesley's true understanding of perfection. In his book A Plain Account of Christian Perfection Wesley clearly asserts that perfection is not the grounds for salvation and he distances himself, sometimes more and sometimes less, from the heresy of sinless perfectionism. Wesley's understanding of biblical perfection is "perfection in love". Wesley believed that Gods children can be perfected in love and have, what he refers to as "a purity of intention" and be free from "willful rebellion." Perfection in love, versus sinless perfectionism or absolute perfection which Wesley denied, is a concept easily found in scripture starting with Jesus who, after describing Gods love for his enemies said, "Be therefore perfect as your father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). When Luke quoted the same discourse he substituted the word "merciful" for "perfect" indicating that perfection is not a state of flawless obedience to every minute command but having a heart that loves like Jesus loves. Tomkins seems to skip over these facts and instead focuses on the more fanatical concepts inherent in Wesley's perfection doctrine such as instantaneous perfection and the self-awareness of having attained perfection. He, therefore, gives the impression that he is eager to discredit the doctrine of perfection and fails to give it a fair hearing.
In conclusion, I found John Wesley, A Biography to be an excellent resource on the life of the father of the Methodist movement. Of all the aspects of his religious life I found his spiritual journey to be the most interesting. While I believe Tomkins analysis contains a slight anti-Wesley bias, especially when it came to Wesley's understanding of salvation and perfection, I nevertheless consider this work to be exceptionally done and worth reading for anyone who wants to learn more about the man, John Wesley.
___________
This book review was completed in partial fulfillment of the course Church History II at Southern Adventist University. Originally published in Ezine Articles: Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/8321138
It's been a LONG week and I know this will bless you the way it blessed me.
Thanks for the great content Marcos!
Click here to go to the original post.
Wesley's Faith-Journey: A Life Long Battle with Legalism
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| photo credit: Vu Bui via photopin cc |
The following is a book review I [Marcos] wrote on the book "John Wesley, A Biography" by Stephen Tomkins.
John Wesley, A Biography, written by Stephen Tomkins, is an excellent biography of John Wesley, one of the fathers of evangelicalism. Tomkins, though negatively biased toward Wesley's theology, brings an authentic flavor to the telling of his story. Rather than presenting him as a hero without warts, Tomkins pours through Wesley's journals and stories in an attempt to paint the man as realistically as possible. The end result is a picture of a man far from perfect-though he preached perfection-and far from confident in his walk with God-though he preached faith. And yet, we also see a man so committed to Christ that few have ever matched his sacrifice and zeal for the work of the gospel.
John Wesley, A Biography is a chronological retelling of the life of Wesley. Tomkins looks not only at Wesley's teachings and adventures as a Methodist preacher, but also his childhood, love life, emotional life, spiritual journey, and family relationships. Due to lack of space I will focus on that which is of most interest to me: his faith journey and his lifelong battle with legalism.
John Wesley was born into an Anglican family that was, for lack of a better word, dysfunctional. According to Tomkins, Wesley's father, Samuel Wesley, once separated from his wife, without intending to return, because she did not support the new king of England and would not pray for him. "You and I must part," said Samuel, "for if we have two kings, we must have two beds" (10). But after his house nearly burned down during a visit Samuel decided to stay and take care of his family. "Less than a year later, on 28 June 1703, John Wesley was born" (11).
Wesley's childhood was loving, but stringent. According to Tomkins, his upbringing was exceedingly strict even by the standard of his day. Susanna, Wesley's mother, believed that children were naturally wicked and rebellious. As a result, Susanna sought to do a type of behavior modification by forcing her children's wills to incline toward good. Her parenting philosophy is summarized in her own words: "Break the will, if you will not damn the child" (13). Tomkins writes:
Susanna... [Wesley's mother] allowed 'no such thing as loud talking or playing'... When turned a year old (and some before) they were taught to fear the rod, and to cry softly... to be still at family prayers, and to ask a blessing immediately after meals, which they used to do by signs before they could kneel or speak... By the time they were grown, they all knew vast tracts of the Bible, some of them whole books, by heart. At meals times the children sat at a small separate table... They were allowed nothing to eat or drink between meals and were beaten if they asked... (12-13).
The strictness of his childhood did not end with adolescence or even adulthood. As a young man, before his conversion, Wesley dedicated himself, while studying at Oxford, to living a holy life. With holiness as his ultimate goal in life Wesley became quite fanatical. Of this time Tomkins writes, "he grew ever stricter on himself, writing a new self-catechism to review not only his daily deeds but also if his motives were sufficiently directed to the glory of God. He discouraged visitors to his room who might waste his time, and abandoned such frivolities as cards and dancing" (32). And yet this was only the beginning. Tomkins describes the evolution of Wesley's fanaticism stating, "As his goals were elevated, his self-analysis and self-discipline were turning into obsessions... He now updated his spiritual audit on an hourly basis and not only noted his successes and failures, but gave himself a score out of nine" (38).
This severe approach to Christianity continued for many years. However, events in Wesley's life began to change his theology and reveal to him a more joyful religion. It all began with Wesley's missionary voyage to America. During the journey Wesley's ship was caught in a fearful storm. Wesley feared for his life but he noticed a company whom didn't seem frightened at all. Wesley inquired as to the source of their super-natural peace and discovered them to be Moravians; followers of Luther, whose religion placed an "emphasis on justification by faith that the English church [to which Wesley belonged] had lost" (46). It was this confidence in salvation that gave them peace in the face of death. However, it was not until much later, in the midst of another spiritual crisis, that light shone for Wesley as he heard a Moravian "reading from Luther's Preface to Romans" (61). The experience was to be a life changing one. Wesley writes:
About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death (61).
However, and here is where I appreciate Tomkins genuine portrayal of Wesley, this experience was not the end of Wesley's struggle with legalism. Unlike those who would like to romanticize Wesley's conversion, Tomkins has no quarrels with diminishing its grand impression upon Wesley's story by admitting that he continued, for the rest of his life, to bounce back and forth between grace alone and grace and works.
Some assume that Wesley was simply a legalist. According to Tomkins, "The traditional evangelical understanding of [Wesley]... is that he was attempting salvation by works" (43). This is said to be the case even after his conversion and is admittedly Tomkins bias. I however have a different theory. Having been raised in a similar fashion to Wesley I also have found it a great struggle to overcome my natural legalistic inclinations and trust in Christ alone for salvation even under the light of gospel freedom. Therefore, in my point of view, it is as a result of his upbringing that Wesley struggled with legalism most of his life. In short, I believe his struggle with legalism was due to psychological factors, not theological failure. The overbearing discipline instilled in his mind as a child formed a lifelong habit of fanatical austerity that he never, even under the light of gospel freedom, seemed to escape for long.
But how is it that the gospel was never able to set Wesley completely free from the Pharisee within? Apart from his natural tendency toward legal religion instilled into his childhood psyche by his legalistic mother, there is another factor that I believe to be the main culprit: Wesley never seemed to learn that faith and feeling are complementary, not synonymous. All of his life Wesley seems to have been dependent on his emotions to reveal to him the state of his soul rather than to depend fully and totally on the promise of God despite what his emotions told him. It is my theory that Wesley was inclined toward grace when he felt close to God, but whenever he felt far from God he would default to the rigid lifestyle of his earlier years as a way of feeling close to God again. The tragedy of this deceptive flaw is that even after years of enduring hardship, persecution, and deadly mobs for the cause of Christ, Wesley poured out his heart to his brother Charles saying:
I do not feel the wrath of God abiding in me; nor can I believe it does. And yet (this is the mystery) I do not love God. I never did. Therefore I never believed, in the Christian sense of the word... I never had any other evidence of the eternal or invisible world than I have now; and that is none at all... And yet I dare not preach otherwise than I do... I want all the world to come to what I do not know (168).
Tomkins is therefore right when he says, "What a desolate spectacle... It is pitiful to see his faith, even after all these years, still so dependent on the vicissitudes of his emotions" (169). This was Wesley's downfall. He never realized, at least in an experiential manner, that feelings are never to be the grounds of our walk with God. They can come and go as easily as the wind shifts. We must learn to trust God's promises even when we cannot feel them to be true.
Even in the midst of this Wesley remained faithful to the Lord until his dying day. On Tuesday 1 March 1791 Wesley approached the end of his life. Weak, ill, and worn from a life of service he found himself unable even to write. "'After a last 'Farewell'', he died on Wednesday morning" (194).
While I have, up to this point, expressed my appreciation for Tomkins biography I do have one major point of contention with him: the way in which he dealt with Wesley's doctrine of perfection. Tomkins anti-perfection bias, in my opinion, prevented him from honestly assessing Wesley's true understanding of perfection. In his book A Plain Account of Christian Perfection Wesley clearly asserts that perfection is not the grounds for salvation and he distances himself, sometimes more and sometimes less, from the heresy of sinless perfectionism. Wesley's understanding of biblical perfection is "perfection in love". Wesley believed that Gods children can be perfected in love and have, what he refers to as "a purity of intention" and be free from "willful rebellion." Perfection in love, versus sinless perfectionism or absolute perfection which Wesley denied, is a concept easily found in scripture starting with Jesus who, after describing Gods love for his enemies said, "Be therefore perfect as your father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). When Luke quoted the same discourse he substituted the word "merciful" for "perfect" indicating that perfection is not a state of flawless obedience to every minute command but having a heart that loves like Jesus loves. Tomkins seems to skip over these facts and instead focuses on the more fanatical concepts inherent in Wesley's perfection doctrine such as instantaneous perfection and the self-awareness of having attained perfection. He, therefore, gives the impression that he is eager to discredit the doctrine of perfection and fails to give it a fair hearing.
In conclusion, I found John Wesley, A Biography to be an excellent resource on the life of the father of the Methodist movement. Of all the aspects of his religious life I found his spiritual journey to be the most interesting. While I believe Tomkins analysis contains a slight anti-Wesley bias, especially when it came to Wesley's understanding of salvation and perfection, I nevertheless consider this work to be exceptionally done and worth reading for anyone who wants to learn more about the man, John Wesley.
___________
This book review was completed in partial fulfillment of the course Church History II at Southern Adventist University. Originally published in Ezine Articles: Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/8321138
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Freedom and Victory: Introduction
Freedom and Victory: Introduction
We all want to be free.
People will fight and die for freedom while others kill to silence these dissenters. There are no neutral parties in these battles.
As I type this in Collegedale, TN I am forced to consider my own fight for freedom. I may not face the same imminent physical threat as the people in the nations mentioned above but I am also at war. Even while you read this, you (YES, YOU!) are engaged in an ongoing struggle.
We have been born into a land of oppression. A land with an administration that has hijacked control from the rightful Ruler.
A land that offers all of life's joys to it's citizens, but actually forces them to live in chains.
A land that has painted a false reality to its inhabitants.
A land where evil has taken hold.
A land where scenes of greed, hate, fear, abuse, and death have become common!
No, I haven't confused Collegedale for North Korea.
(Even though the police give as many tickets. Kidding!!)
Actually, I'm not just referring to a small territory in an isolated corner of the globe.
Because, in fact, our entire WORLD is in a conflict!
If you've ever felt the hurt of losing a loved one or have been enraged at the oppression of the powerless, you can relate that those things should not exist!
If you've ever wondered why there is so much pain, so much hurt, and so much wrong in our hearts and in this world, it's because we are slaves to an enemy.
The enemy of God has hijacked the world and is killing God's children!
In the next few weeks, we'll consider this global battle.
I hope you think about your own battle as we focus on the freedom and victory that can is promised and given by the true King to those who choose to stand with Him.
Join us next week as we start our first multi-part series!!
EF
Friday, February 21, 2014
Friday Findings: How to Effectively Witness Online
I don't know about you, but I LOVE Friday Findings!
This one comes from a brilliant mind with wonderful insight. (Thanks, Adrian Zahid.)
Stick with this one, it's worth the read!
Click here for the original post!
This one comes from a brilliant mind with wonderful insight. (Thanks, Adrian Zahid.)
Stick with this one, it's worth the read!
Click here for the original post!
How to Effectively Witness Online
1 WEEK, 4 DAYS AGO
POSTED IN: MINISTRY
An Opportunity Unparalleled in History
The internet and social media allows us great opportunities to share the Gospel. It has changed not only how the game is played but the game itself. It has caused huge disruptions across traditional media, business, healthcare, journalism, government and politics, and has touched many facets of our personal lives. Many of us enjoy sharing our lives with our friends and coworkers on social networks such as Twitter, Vine, Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest among others. Social Media gives us a live stream of relevant news that engages us hour after hour.
The internet and social media allows us great opportunities to share the Gospel. It has changed not only how the game is played but the game itself. It has caused huge disruptions across traditional media, business, healthcare, journalism, government and politics, and has touched many facets of our personal lives. Many of us enjoy sharing our lives with our friends and coworkers on social networks such as Twitter, Vine, Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest among others. Social Media gives us a live stream of relevant news that engages us hour after hour.
We can instantly connect through mobile phones, tablets and laptops with social friends around the world. While many of us are savvy social media users a few of us have begun to look at the possibilities for using these tools for Christ. To use these tools effectively, it is important for one to know how to build social networks and audiences, understand the nature of online search and how to leverage these tools individually and as a Church.
To get a good foundation let us understand some history behind mass communication and its effect on the world.
A Brief History of Communication
In the beginning, we (human beings) remembered every thing we said thus there was no need for writing things down. After the flood, with life spans significantly shortened, we began to jot things down on Papyrus so that others might read of our experiences and learn from us. This mode of communication remained fairly constant with few changes for several thousand years. The Eygptians innovated and wrote on stone, the Chinese invented paper and ink, the Europeans figured out the printing press and moveable type. Books were rare and considered a prized possession of the rich. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Cathedral, it took several months before the news traveled around the world. By the 17th Century, newspapers helped shorten the news cycle to a few days or months if you had to cross the ocean to the New World (America). By the late 18th Century, the wire (telegraph) and the telephone had completely revamped the way we communicated. The rise of radio and television allowed those with a lot of money or political clout to engage in mass promotion. Live events, like the Kennedy Assassination, the Space Age, wars and conflicts began to stream into homes. Now you didn’t have to be ‘there’ as long as you were able to see it on TV or hear it on the radio. Media still remained an expensive proposition and one that rested firmly in the hands of the rich and the powerful. Computers, which at one time, took up several rooms got progressively smaller and a small network, the internet, began to show promise of big things to come. By the middle of the 1990′s, the computers now fit on our desks and we began to “Get Mail” (Emails) and mobile phones were getting slimmer and less bulky by each passing year.
In the beginning, we (human beings) remembered every thing we said thus there was no need for writing things down. After the flood, with life spans significantly shortened, we began to jot things down on Papyrus so that others might read of our experiences and learn from us. This mode of communication remained fairly constant with few changes for several thousand years. The Eygptians innovated and wrote on stone, the Chinese invented paper and ink, the Europeans figured out the printing press and moveable type. Books were rare and considered a prized possession of the rich. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Cathedral, it took several months before the news traveled around the world. By the 17th Century, newspapers helped shorten the news cycle to a few days or months if you had to cross the ocean to the New World (America). By the late 18th Century, the wire (telegraph) and the telephone had completely revamped the way we communicated. The rise of radio and television allowed those with a lot of money or political clout to engage in mass promotion. Live events, like the Kennedy Assassination, the Space Age, wars and conflicts began to stream into homes. Now you didn’t have to be ‘there’ as long as you were able to see it on TV or hear it on the radio. Media still remained an expensive proposition and one that rested firmly in the hands of the rich and the powerful. Computers, which at one time, took up several rooms got progressively smaller and a small network, the internet, began to show promise of big things to come. By the middle of the 1990′s, the computers now fit on our desks and we began to “Get Mail” (Emails) and mobile phones were getting slimmer and less bulky by each passing year.
The early 2000′s brought a perfect storm as we hit the sweet spot between science, technology and search engines. Suddenly, any one with a connection to the internet could write some easy lines of HTML code (Website Development Language) and build a rudimentary website and attract investors and buyers. Technology experienced an influx of cash as private and corporate investors threw money at every idea to see what would be the next big thing. Few of those early dotcoms were the real big thing but it created a massive movement of the world’s economies from the Industrial Age to the Knowledge Age. We have entered what I like to call the Connection Age where everyone and everything is instantly connected through communication networks.
The Process of Making a Decision Unchanged
Despite the fact the tools for sharing knowledge have increased the way our brains process information and make decisions has not changed since God created us. We begin by realizing we have a shortage or lack of something. This is the first stage known as ‘awareness’ or the process of becoming aware of our lack. We then begin to search for information. Our search usually begins with a question in our mind that we may express outloud to some one nearby or we might type a shortened version of it known as a ‘keyword’ into a search engine search bar such as Google. As information about our question becomes aparent we begin to take interest in the various answers with some taking precedence over others. Once we have consummed all the information we need on a certain subject we then move to make a decision. The decision could be to accept or reject the options available to us. Once we make a decision we then take action such as pressing “like” or “share this” or clicking “buy”. This decision making process is the same for purchase decisions made at the grocery store and online on stores like Amazon. We use parts of this decision making process when we are choosing a life partner. It is important to realize that Social Media and the Internet are just tools. Its what we do with those tools is what counts.
Despite the fact the tools for sharing knowledge have increased the way our brains process information and make decisions has not changed since God created us. We begin by realizing we have a shortage or lack of something. This is the first stage known as ‘awareness’ or the process of becoming aware of our lack. We then begin to search for information. Our search usually begins with a question in our mind that we may express outloud to some one nearby or we might type a shortened version of it known as a ‘keyword’ into a search engine search bar such as Google. As information about our question becomes aparent we begin to take interest in the various answers with some taking precedence over others. Once we have consummed all the information we need on a certain subject we then move to make a decision. The decision could be to accept or reject the options available to us. Once we make a decision we then take action such as pressing “like” or “share this” or clicking “buy”. This decision making process is the same for purchase decisions made at the grocery store and online on stores like Amazon. We use parts of this decision making process when we are choosing a life partner. It is important to realize that Social Media and the Internet are just tools. Its what we do with those tools is what counts.
The Equal Opportunity
There was time when books were scarce and only the rich could afford them. Now with the rise of the technology a young adult can carry all of Mrs. White’s writings, hundreds of Bible Versions thousands of online sermons, podcasts, and Bible Commentaries in their pocket. Knowledge has not only increased but it has become accessible to any one who is connected to the internet.
There was time when books were scarce and only the rich could afford them. Now with the rise of the technology a young adult can carry all of Mrs. White’s writings, hundreds of Bible Versions thousands of online sermons, podcasts, and Bible Commentaries in their pocket. Knowledge has not only increased but it has become accessible to any one who is connected to the internet.
Now any one can access free courses from some of the world’s top universities in any subject they choose at a time they choose. I have “sat” in classes at Oxford University, Masschusettes Institute of Technology, and Harvard Business School to learn from the very best in the comfort of my home, in my car, or on my Ipad and Iphone for free.
How to Gain an Audience
The old way was that you had to be ‘found’ by some talent agent and ‘selected’ by a network before you could begin to do your thing. These days anyone with an access to a web cam or HD camera can begin streaming content online and attract not only the attention of other interested individuals but corporations as well. Building an audience has never been easier and it is easier to create content that goes ‘viral’ (spreads fast) overnight.
The old way was that you had to be ‘found’ by some talent agent and ‘selected’ by a network before you could begin to do your thing. These days anyone with an access to a web cam or HD camera can begin streaming content online and attract not only the attention of other interested individuals but corporations as well. Building an audience has never been easier and it is easier to create content that goes ‘viral’ (spreads fast) overnight.
Many people today have launched huge enterprises from their homes and garages online. People have leveraged the power of the Internet and the reach of Social Media to start home fitness programs, gourmet cuisine shows, blogs, and consumer advice sites. These ‘home grown’ enterprises not only reach audiences in the millions but are also sources of good income as well.
How to Leverage Influence
It is said that the most important commodity in the world is attention. Corporations spend billions of dollars to gain the attention of consumers which is often fleeting and hard to come by. As content is delivered on ever increasing channels consumers are developing increasingly sophisticated ways to bypass and block messages that are not relevant or interesting to them. Celebrity endorsements do not have the same power they once did. These days online Yelp reviews can sink the revenues of restaurants faster than the paid restaurant critic of the local newspaper. People put more stock on in individual experience rather than paid advertisements with little relevance to them.
It is said that the most important commodity in the world is attention. Corporations spend billions of dollars to gain the attention of consumers which is often fleeting and hard to come by. As content is delivered on ever increasing channels consumers are developing increasingly sophisticated ways to bypass and block messages that are not relevant or interesting to them. Celebrity endorsements do not have the same power they once did. These days online Yelp reviews can sink the revenues of restaurants faster than the paid restaurant critic of the local newspaper. People put more stock on in individual experience rather than paid advertisements with little relevance to them.
Influence online is just as powerful as it is in-person offline. Influence is developed through authenticity, personalization, and cannot be bought. Influence is built on results which in turn bring greater credibility. As more people try your workout program, diet, or gadget and like it they will be more likely share it with their friends. Some are early adopters who are willing to try products or services delivered in the beta stage or development stage. They like to give feedback and enjoy seeing their insights incorporated into the final design or product. Others are middle adopters who jump onto a bandwagon after a trend has matured. Still others are late adopters who stubbornly cling on to what works for as long as they can til they are forced to change. The early adopters tend to be product evangelists and have established audiences whom they influence through their enthusiasm, knowledge, and abillity.
The key to influence is to differentiate between early adopters, middle adopters and late adopters and implement strategies that are specific to their needs and wants . It is important to develop relationships with people online that are based on mutual trust before offering them services or products that they have to pay for. For example, if you are selling a workout regimen, have your audience try out the first 3 workouts to see if they like them and then those who want to buy the whole 21 workouts will buy them. Or better yet, provide months of free content so that you not only develop an audience and educate them so that they are able to make smart decisions about some of your deeper level product or service offerings at a price they can afford.
How to Use the Internet & Social Media to Get New Friends
Christ’s method of winning souls applies to the age of Facebook and Twitter. Our level of influence is limited only by how interested we are in gaining others’ trust and by meeting their needs.
Christ’s method of winning souls applies to the age of Facebook and Twitter. Our level of influence is limited only by how interested we are in gaining others’ trust and by meeting their needs.
Authenticity online is very important. I remember in my younger years, I once attracted a girl in college, online, through my college yearbook photo. Unfortunately, the photo I gave the yearbook was several years old did not represent my current image that I had created myself in, after all-night studying, and living on fast-food. She was clearly disappointed in my current level of fitness as she had fallen ‘in love’ with a very fit man in the picture. In the same way, who we are in everyday life should be the same we are online. Any failure to do so will result in mass condemnation online and a loss of trust that is hard to gain back as a fact that many fallen celebrities will readily attest to.
Create content that you have the most knowledge about personally. The reason why God has called so many different people in to His Church is because we were meant to attract others like us. I have tastes and interests that are probably very different from yours however we can both use our personal experiences and likes to attract very different sets of people.
Leverage your gifts online. Some of us are great on camera, others are better at writing or drawing, singing or taking pictures. You can research the demand for anything before you commit to something or you can experiment before you develop a niche. All social platforms and search engines offer analytics data where you can type keywords relevant to your area of interest and you will be most likely surprised that there are so many others who share your interests or are looking for content that only you can provide.
You can begin by researching who else is providing the same service or expertise in your chosen area. Evaluate them for professionality, consistency, level of engagement of their audience, and reach. Note what works for them and see how you can do it better or fill in gaps that they are not able to fill. Make a reasonable investment in research, education, and technology that is comparable to your level of involvement online. Don’t go out and buy a ten thousand dollar HD video camera on the first day but as your audience grows you might want to invest in better equipment, lighting, cameras etc.
Treat your audience with respect. Acknowledge that you are a ‘newbie’ or an expert if you are. Make sure you are consistent with your production. If you blog once a year or post a video of a cooking episode in your kitchen once every three months it will be hard to develop and maintain an audience. Be consistent with your production level and as your expertise increases make sure you the content you produce is still inviting to those who are new to your field.
How To Use Social Media and Search Data for Local Evangelism Planning
Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing provide a free and enterprise level Search Analytical services to their users and advertisers. Programs such as Google Analytics, Omniture give robust solutions for analyzing website traffic or in helping to research key demographic data to assess demand for products and services in a given area radius. Local Churches can develop content strategies based on the needs of those searching in their immediate vicinity or develop ad campaigns to drive interested folks to events or microsites that contain information and a chance to connect.
Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can help you to develop audiences through direct offers, videos and written content. They can help you refine your seminar offers to specific types of people such as a parenting seminar for parents with kids less than than 5.
For advanced ministries or churches solutions such as Hubspot, Radian6, Hootsuite and other marketing analytics software platforms could prove useful.
How to Cross Borders & Enter Countries Closed to the Gospel
The internet can reach behind walls of separation set up by oppressive regimes and governments. We may not be able to preach and teach freely in many countries but that doesn’t mean that the citizens of those countries aren’t searching for something better. People in closed countries have ways of accessing information that astounds me and it is important that we make our information accessible to such groups. For security reasons I cannot go into detail about the ways that information filters through censors however it is enough to say that God will work with what you produce for His glory. Only in Heaven will we will learn about the far reaching effects of our humble efforts for Him.
The internet can reach behind walls of separation set up by oppressive regimes and governments. We may not be able to preach and teach freely in many countries but that doesn’t mean that the citizens of those countries aren’t searching for something better. People in closed countries have ways of accessing information that astounds me and it is important that we make our information accessible to such groups. For security reasons I cannot go into detail about the ways that information filters through censors however it is enough to say that God will work with what you produce for His glory. Only in Heaven will we will learn about the far reaching effects of our humble efforts for Him.
Social Media and the Internet have proven to be game changers. What remains to be seen is if we through the power of the Holy Spirit can see a vision of what can be accomplished for God and resolve by His power to make that vision a reality. The world is dying for the want of a Savior and through the tools of Social Media we can use the Health Message, the Principles of abundant living in Proverbs, and the three Angels Messages to warn this world and prepare it for the Soon Coming of Jesus.
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