You know what really blessed me this Easter (Resurrection Day)?  It was the words that Jesus said to Mary, “I’m returning to my Father and your Father”.   Since the creation of the world – God had reached out to His people with His desire to be their God, but never before had He opened the way for such a personal relationship as being our Father.   Christ did many things for us with His death and resurrection.  He redeemed us from sin and removed the fear of death and judgment.  He bridged the gap between man and God, opening the door wide for us to enter into the presence of God with clean hands and a pure heart.   But, He also started a process called adoption.   Through Him, we can be adopted into the family of God and be sons of His Father — just like Him.      How could it get any better than that?

Why do we do what we do – evangelism?   Is it our attempt to be obedient, or should it be driven by a more noble reason – love?   To reach out to the unbeliever – to build relationships with non-Christians for the sole purpose of bringing them into the fold might just carry with it a vibe they detect.  They don’t want to be another notch on our gun.  But who doesn’t want to be loved?   To just care about them because that’s exactly what Jesus did, coule possibly be the missing ingredient in why unbelievers don’t respond to the church like they did to Jesus.

Jesus ate with sinners, possibly stayed over the night with them and yet maybe they never did convert over.  Or if they did, it was much later, after Pentecost and His ascension.    But whether they do or don’t isn’t really the point – because NO ONE knows the heart or can see the outcome of our influence in their lives if we just love them and have a genuine relationship with them.

We must look beyond the here and now and realize that the love of God transcends our witnessing techniques and only when we truly love sinners the way Jesus loved and loves them now – are we sowing the love and grace of God into their lives that becomes the field that we or another may reap in God’s timing.

There is no substitute for just caring and being a friend for no other reason than we would want such a friend ourselves.

Pastor Keith

I have noticed that the church is falling farther and farther behind.  It seems that too many who attend church have lost connection with all those who they used to hang with and therefore don’t seem to intermingle with unbelievers any more.  That’s so different than the example Jesus set.  He enjoyed being with those who hadn’t conformed to traditions or bought into the whole legalistic approach to doing church that many have fallen into.  I believe that we have misunderstood Jesus’ expectations to not be like the world to flee entanglements with the world.   Jesus was entangled, reaching out to sinners, demonics and prostitutes.  If we withdraw from the world, who is going to demonstrate the love of the Lord and help anyone learn the true teachings of Christ that set men free?