No one makes Jesus Lord!

How many times have you heard this, “You need to make Jesus Lord of your life!”?  How many times have you and I said something like that?  Is that best and the most biblical way of explaining the good news of salvation to someone.  I don’t think so.

Michael Kelly explains:

Is it possible that our notion of the lordship of Jesus has been influenced by an American commitment to democracy?

That’s a mouthful of a statement, isn’t it? But since we, at least in the country where I’m writing, find ourselves in the midst of an election year, it seems to fit. So think with me for a minute about the nature of elections. In an election, we choose our leadership. We cast ballots, and the winner of those votes becomes the leader. The one that we follow for the next four years.

All political views aside, then, the President of the United States, because he (or she) is elected by the people, serves at the will and pleasure of those people. The people are the boss of the leader, at least in theory.

But to call Jesus “Lord” is much, much different than that.

It’s not so much a choosing as it is a recognition.

Keep on reading here.

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Voddie Baucham: the most important question Christians can answer

HT: Truth Matters

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8 simple instructions for sharing Christ

Pastor Nate Shurden shares these 8 simple instructions (no secret formula here) for sharing Christ.  The list follows with further explanation here.

1. Prepare to share
2. Get involved
3. Be attentive
4. Get close
5. Share Christ
6. Wait on the Lord
7. Celebrate
8. Repeat

Who are going to share Christ with this week?

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Remind yourself who Jesus is

Erik Raymond urges us to . . .

“Take a quick walk through the Book of Colossians and remind yourself who ‘He’ is:

He is…the object of faith for believers (1.4)

He is…the source of hope (1.5)

He is…the one whom believers serve (1.7)

He is…the intended audience of a holy life (1.10)

He is…the Beloved Son of God (1.13)

He is…the King (1.13)

He is…the Redeemer (1.14)

He is…the basis for the forgiveness of sins (1.14)

He is…the image of God (1.15)

He is…the firstborn of creation (1.15)

He is…the creator of all things (1.16)

He is…the one for whom all things have been made (1.16)

He is…the sustainer of all things (1.17)

He is…the head of the church (1.18)

He is…the firstborn of the dead (1.18)

He is…the embodiment of all of divine fullness (1.19)

He is…the Reconciler (1.20)

He is…the Peacemaker (1.20)

He is…the rebel’s Rescuer (1.21)

He is…the sovereign Savior (1.22)

He is…the sovereign Sustainer and Keeper of the elect (1.22)

He is…the subject of the riches of the glory of God (1.27)

He is…the hope of glory (1.27)

He is…in believers (1.27)

This just takes us up to this passage in Colossians 1.28. If you keep going you see that:

He is… the true knowledge of God (2.2)

He is… the source of all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (2.3)

He is… the One who insults worldly philosophy by exposing its weakness (2.8ff)

He is… the fullness of Deity in bodily form, that is, he is God in the flesh (2.9)

He is… the one who makes believers complete (2.10)

He is… the source of regenerating power (2.13)

He is… the forgiver (2.13)

He is… the one who overcame the law by fulfilling it (2.14)

He is… the one who triumphed over all rulers and authorities; all of the demonic realm (2.15)

He is… the one who is supreme over all world religious pursuits, including all world philosophies, all forms of legalism, all mysticism, and all asceticism (2.15-23)

He is… the only one who is able to defeat and disarm the flesh (2.23)

He is… the source and substance of the believer’s life (3.1-4)

He is… the focus of the believer’s affections and ambitions (3.1-4)

He is… the object of the believer’s hope (3.1-4)

He is… the ultimate end of all of our actions and thanksgivings (3.15-17)

He is… the One, and the only one who is…all and in all (Col. 3.11)”

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