He tells the story of a true adventure.  He had some old friends who planned a hunting trip out in the Badlands and at first, he decided not to go.  Then all of a sudden while out with other friends eating pizza, he changed his mind, realizing that these old friends needed to hear his story of conversion.  He convinced a friend who was a pilot to fly him out there and drop him off on a remote unmanned airstrip.  From there he took off with very little gear searching from country roads.  He didn’t actually find his friends so he was forced to hole up in his sleeping bag that night and the next morning he was awoken by a gruff rancher with a gun.  Well, the rancher softened and eventually let Mark come to his home, eat breakfast, and this started a faith sharing adventure as well.

So here’s the question, what’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken for God?  Have you ever gone out on a limb for Christ?  Done something that seemed kind of crazy- like a completely selfless act of service?  Forgiven someone for some real offense against you?  Put together some kind of an outreach program that people said just wouldn’t work?  Talked to someone that not only wasn’t a Christian but who’s made it clear they don’t want to hear about it?  There are a million possibilities.

We’re not talking about complete foolishness here, but God does call us to take some risks too.  Think of the words of Paul as they’re quoted at the end of this chapter.

“I have been constantly on the  move.  I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. . . I consider my life worht nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (2 Cor. 11:26-27; Acts 20:24)

This is an incredibly powerful story of a man returning a photo to the daughter of the man he shot during the war.  I can’t imagine the horrors of the war in which all of these people were involved.  I don’t know the man’s whole story.  Certainly in war, killing is part of what happens.

And yet this story speaks of how painful that is.  This story speaks to us to think of “enemy” in a different light.  This story I think reminds us that we want no enemies and we want no wars. That doesn’t mean these things will happen in our sin broken world, but it does remind us to look at things through a different set of eyes.

And most importantly of all, it begs the questions.  Who do you need to forgive?  Who do you need to ask forgiveness of?  All is possible through Christ who gives us the ultimate forgiveness.

I’m a Lutheran pastor and I know a lot of our readers are Lutherans who probably aren’t real comfortable with the whole concept of testimony, but listen for a moment.

Lee Strobel shares one of the experiences that started opening his heart toward faith and it was through the testimony of a man, Gary, he was covering for an article.  Gary had been a hardened gangster for most of his young life.  He’d had numerous run-ins with the law and finally got in deep trouble when he attempted to kill a rival gang member.  Miraculously, the Lord prevented the gun from actually firing, but Gary had to flee to Oregon to escape the law.  There he got a legitmate job and his coworkers brought him to faith.  He and his girlfriend got married, and started raising a Christian family.  Years went by, but Gary’s past always haunted him.  He finally decided to go back to Chicago and turn himself in so that justice could be served.  The judge was so moved by what he’d done and how he’d truly changed that he let him off with probation.  When Lee asked Gary about his reaction to the judge’s ruling, he said it was simply grace, a model of the grace God had already showed him in his life.  Lee couldn’t help but be moved.

Now you’ll agree this is a moving story, but isn’t that what testmonies are, just moving stories, ones desired to grab people’s emotions.  The reality is that the Bible is full of people’s stories and testimonies, designed to grab us and let us see how God works in people’s lives.  Just watch the witness of Paul throughout Acts.  One of the things he does repeatedly is tell people his story, transition from Christian persecutor to Christian witness.  If Paul promotes the technique, maybe we should give it some serious thought.

Another common objection to testimonies is that they’re always sensational.  Certainly Gary and Paul’s testimonies are pretty incredible.  And I can understand feeling kind of strange about sharing your experiences when you were baptized when you were a baby and raised up in the Christian faith.  How’s that going to move people?  Well, the reality is that many people can actually identify with the less spectacular stories even moreso than the incredible ones.  When you dig into the story of your faith you’ll find the blessings of God, maybe being raised in the faith, but also challenges- the teen years, problems at work, in your relationships, etc, places where you’ve seen God in your life.  When you hear people speaking about such challenges (or blessings), that’s where your “testimony” comes in.  It might not seem spectacular, but it’s where you can engage people’s lives with the story of God in your own.

Finally, I agree that my experiences and testimony can’t be the whole enchilada.  That’s why it’s good to think through the aspects of our lives and how God’s word has met our needs.  What Scriptures have been formative for you?  Which ones have helped you in hard times or good times?  Which ones work well to share as you’re sharing your experience?

So the action point here, start thinking about aspects of your “testimony” and what situations might come up where you can share.  Also start thinking about passages from the Bible relate.  And if it makes you feel better, you don’t have to call it a testimony.  In all honesty, I wouldn’t do so with mine as it saves one from the baggage some associate with that term.  You’re just sharing your story.  People are almost always open to that.

Mark shares a story of how he and his wife were eating out at a restaurant and making some plans when the hostess decided to seat another couple right next to them, even though the restaurant was near empty.  Mark was a little annoyed and he was even more annoyed when the couple kept looking over and listening in.  Finally the couple started engaging them in coversation and he was forced to start talking with them, interrupting his planning with his wife.  Well, they asked about his job, and when they found out he was a Christian author, they started arguing with him some as they were committed atheists.  The conversation didn’t go anywhere remarkable, but God did create an opportunity and as it happened, Mark had a copy of a book he’d written sitting in his briefcase which addressed many of their objections to faith.  The woman said she’d like to look at it and even got his email address so she could send him her thoughts.  Before and even during the conversation Mark was somewhat annoyed by the interruption, but as it progressed he realized it was from God. 

We need to take a step back sometimes and wonder about interruptions and delays.  I remember once standing in line in a grocery store when an old woman in front was buying just a few items.  I thought this was the perfect line as the purchase would be done quickly.  I could buy my stuff and rush on to work.  Of course, she presented them slowly, and then even more slowly she started to hunt for her money.  I was getting annoyed, and maybe she and the clerk could even notice that.  She discovered she was short and started looking at her items.  What would she give up.  As she struggled to decide I was getting even more annoyed.

Then it hit me, this might be an interruption and delay, but it was also opportunity.  I gave the clerk a few dollars to cover what she was short.  The woman looked at me and told me it was ok, that I didn’t have to do that.  I responded simply, “Don’t worry.  The Lord provides.  Blessings on your day.”  She thanked me profusely and walked on as I stayed to make my own purchase.  The teller also looked at me and thanked me.

What had been an interruption and delay became an opportunity, even a short one, to give witness to the Lord and his care.

As are many right now, I’m thinking about fathers.  Thus the three generation picture above, complete with Twins jerseys.  There’s some humor to that, but I’d also like to include some more serious thoughts.

First, I think on my own dad and the powerful force he’s been in my life.  An example of love and character, a model of the faith.  “Heavenly Father, I thank you for this man.”

 I think on my own children and the blessing, honor, and responsibility it is to be a Father.  ”Lord let me seek to reflect your love for your Son and your children here on earth as I care for those you’ve entrusted to me”.

Finally, I think on those without fathers, or without the father they’ve wanted- those who mourn, those who’ve been disconnected from fathers by sin.  “Lord God, please raise up men in the lives of these, your children, to model a father’s love, and even moreso, let them see, even through this sin-cracked world, your love, the love of the truest Father of all.”

I received this forward on the first Father’s Day celebration.  Looking through some other history, it’s probably not what led to the continued celebration, but it is a story that helps us understand the heart of Father’s Day, which is not about commercialization, but instead about fatherly love.

Here’s a video that captures some of the heart and passion that go into this question.  “Are we a Christians nation?”  Related to this- were we ever?  Or, do we still want to be one?

That’s some intense debate and my views on this issue are constantly evolving.  What I think this video does do for us is answer unequivocally that our forefathers and many great leaders in this country have absolutely relied on God, and not just a vague “god”, but God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for guidance.  Not just in private, but they let people see their faith in public as well.  They acknowledged that God guided them personally and in their work and that his values were bound up in what they saw as values our country should promote.

I don’t think we should let this be taken away from us.  Leaders should be allowed to lead in a way that God guides them.  In fact, I want leaders to be guided by God.  And I want this country to promote values that God promotes.  Why?  Because I believe his values are the ones that he has written into the design and fabric of this world to make things work.  If this is true, a person should be able to find these values, these freedoms, these virtues in the Scriptures, and also be able to argue for them from science, nature, sociology, history, etc, becuase these are all God’s realms as well.

This is important, because we need to think in terms nonChristian faiths as well.  What are the implications for other countries.  Do we want our Christian brothers and sisters to face oppression because the leaders of those countries say they should be able to promote Shariah law, the Hindu faith, or something else?

No, but here’s where we should be ok.  One, leaders can be guided by their faith.  NonChristian leaders can be guided by their faiths as well.  It may not guide them in the right direction, but everyone has the freedom to adhere to their faith and speak about it publically as they like.  Two, the only laws we make and promote in a country need to be ones which we can show to be grounded in science, sociology, history, nature, etc as well as Scripture.  So that applies to others countries as well, and Shariah law or whatever else should not find such support.  At the same time, what’s great to see is that there are certain principles which God has written into the fabric of creation which many faiths hold in common.  Their faith will drive them to be allies in the effort to help people go back to creation and look at God’s design for lives.

Those are some of my thoughts right now on the topic.  It’s intense, and like I said, my views continue to evolve as I study the theology and practice associated with it.

You can do it! Get creating!

First seen at Churchy Media

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes

A Sisterchick by definition is: a friend who laughs with you till you cry and cries with you till you laugh; a gift from God.

I am a sisterchicks fan to begin with, so when I was asked to review the new Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn, I was excited.  Robin does such a good job of taking you to different places around the world, which is nice because I don’t get to go there myself.  In this book in the series, the best friends happen to be pen pals and Summer from the U.S. flys away to meet her never-before-seen pen pal Noelle in the Netherlands.  Robin also does a good job of mixing silly girlie adventure with an appreciation for God and what He does in our lives.  While Summer is busy making faux pas after faux pas and learning Dutch culture, she also slows down enough to enjoy the “sacredness of the everyday” and to give up some of her controlling nature and recognize God’s hand in her life.

A good, easy summer read and it even has discussion questions at the end of you are in a book club!

Check out Erin’s other reviews:

Mama’s Got a Fake I.D.