4 Minute Devotions: Bible Belt Bashing

Our young people are often pressurized by their zealous evangelical peers. How would Jesus share the Gospel with our teenagers?

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Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

“Being saved” is a big deal here in the Bible belt. A lot of our young people are pressurized by some of their zealous peers, who make them run a theological gauntlet in classes, school canteens, and during recess. They are asked questions like: Are you saved? Have you given your heart to Jesus? Are you going to heaven or hell? It’s an unfair and un-Christlike way of trying to share the Gospel. I wish that some of those religious fanatics would take a leaf out of Jesus’ own ministry, and copy His method.

Take the story about Zacchaeus. Jesus doesn’t ask him if he is saved, or if he’s going to heaven or hell. Jesus invites himself into the tax gatherer’s home, in order to meet him where Zacchaeus is comfortable. He doesn’t accuse him of not being faithful, or of being unsaved. Christ simply wants to share a meal with him and show Zacchaeus compassion, friendship, and fellowship.

That’s what changes the tax man’s heart. Christ accepts him where he is, as well as who he is, in order to bring the kingdom of heaven into Zacchaeus’ life. Jesus doesn’t berate him for being unpopular, sinful, or greedy. He simply sits down with the man, has a meal, and shares the Gospel in a non-confrontational way.

And this method works because Zacchaeus’ life changes from that moment on. The kingdom of God enters into his heart through the grace, mercy, and love of God that Christ brings. Zacchaeus become a new person because Christ was willing to share fellowship with him, not criticism, fear, and judgment.

Perhaps there are people in our lives who we’ve been trying to come to church, or get saved by God. Maybe we’ve been more hostile rather than helpful, confrontational rather than compassionate, or judgmental rather than joyful. If that is the case, then it’s time to adopt Christ’s method in our faith sharing by offering fellowship, grace, and love. In the long run, it’s evidently more effective than fear, goading, and leverage.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all want to see the entire world saved, but sometimes our zeal gets in the way of Your ministry and love. Keep us from being self-righteous and unrelenting; help us to be more compassionate and loving. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: Testing the Faith

I only failed one test when I was at university. It happened in my first semester and of all things to fail, I failed New Testament. The professor and I didn’t see eye to eye, so I think I was marked out for a humbling experience. I missed the pass grade by half a point and he wouldn’t round it up. There were no do-overs or extra credits at the Divinity Faculty, so I had to live the next semester with my failure. I guess if I had studied more, been better prepared, and had gone unnoticed in the class, I might have squeaked through a pass. Whatever the case, it was my own fault, but I learned my lesson. Throughout the next six years at the Faculty, I never failed a class again and finished up with an Honors degree.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?

Testing our faith is something that we don’t pay a great deal of attention to these days, but in Paul’s time, it was very important. People had to truly know within their hearts if their faith was real because Christians were being persecuted at the time. When believers put their trust in Jesus, they were also laying their lives on the line. To call Jesus “Lord” was a capital offense against Caesar and the Roman Empire, so followers of Christ had to be sure they wanted to be Christians. If they didn’t test their faith from time to time, then they may have been found wanting when a real trial came their way.

But what about us today? How do we properly test our faith? I think we’ve got to ask ourselves if our faith is a leisure pursuit, a life style choice, or an everlasting commitment. We may never be asked to lay down our lives for Jesus, but we may feel pressured to worship on an irregular basis because of other commitments. Or we may hold back from giving our time and resources for Christ’s church because of insecurity or insensitivity. Or we may neglect growing our faith and be led astray by New Age teachers and prosperity Gospel preachers without realizing it.

I think the best way to test our faith in different situations is to honestly ask ourselves would Jesus approve or do this. If the honest answer is “No” and we ignore it, then we have tested our faith in Christ and failed. During those times, we need to seek His forgiveness and allow Him to help us start again. Christianity is not easy and it is not comfortable, but when we do the right thing and please the Lord, it is the most spiritually rewarding faith in the entire universe.

Prayer: O Lord Jesus, we fear failure in our lives and we don’t like to lose in our society. We forget that our faith competes with our decisions and choices every day. Help us to remain faithful to You, so that when we are deeply and sorely tested, we will not fail You. And if we do fail, enable us to sincerely and humbly come to You for forgiveness. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.