Life after Death

^"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Paul described life after death in different ways throughout his writings. Paul's teaching about the end of the world is expressed most clearly in his letters to the Christians at Thessalonica. Heavily persecuted, it appears that they had written asking him first about those who had died already, and, secondly, when they should expect the end. Paul regarded the age as passing and, in such difficult times, he therefore encouraged marriage as a means of happiness. He assures them that the dead will rise first and be followed by those left alive (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Paul was clear on his teachings about heaven and hell. The New Testament contains numerous statements that confirm that the wicked will die-permanently. In Matthew 7:13-14, in exhorting His disciples to choose the way that leads to life, Jesus states that the end of those who do not choose life is destruction The apostle Paul also stated that the wicked will die. In Romans 6:20-21 he talks about those who were slaves of sin and says that for them "the end of those things is death." So those who are slaves of sin, who habitually commit sin, can perish completely. Paul makes a similar statement in Galatians 6:8: "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." Ultimately what Paul taught is that the greatest pain was to be separated eternally from the presence of God and his love and protection. Without Christ as the redeeming savior, mankind is doomed, but the free gift of eternal life is salvation.

Paul knew he would receive his reward at Christ's coming: "For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The time from Paul's death until his resurrection will seem to him but a mere moment. He will be with Christ and will be a glorified son of God in the next moment of his consciousness. No wonder Paul, weary of his sufferings in this life, desired to depart and be with Christ.

Christ’s resurrection is in its essence the very foundation of hope for believers. The God of the Bible is not dead but is everlasting to everlasting and has no beginning or end. With Jesus’ resurrection it is the driving hope of all mankind that know Christ and through his death, burial and resurrection, we are made free and looking forward with a joy of being united with Christ in Heaven. The resurrection is the difference between Christ and all other religions in the world. We are set free and have an eternal hope through Christ!

Review of "Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge"

Leadership is an ongoing process of becoming a “lifelong learner.” Unless a leader continues to grow and stretch their understanding of leadership, they will eventually run out of steam. The Leadership Challenge book was an insightful and wise look at the importance of explaining leadership as a process. It is no longer a process of allowing a few people at the “top” of the leadership ladder to be in charge of everything, but it is moving people along in their own abilities on the team. A great quote from the book says, “Our research challenges the myth that leadership is something inherent in the DNA or is found only at the highest levels of an organization, whether it is the executive or the pulpit…leadership is everyone’s business.”[1] The five practices of exemplary leadership are, model the way, inspired a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. It is true that leaders are the change agents in any organization to lead and create an environment of growth. Leaders are not just born but are developed. Although some have qualities through their spiritual gifts, the key is if they develop them through the power of the Holy Spirit working in their life. This quote explains further, “the truth is that leadership is an observable set of skills and abilities that are useful no matter where you are. And leadership, like any other skill, can be strengthened, honed, and enhanced, given the motivation and desire, the practice and feedback, and the proper role models and coaching.”[2] Leadership is learned as the book continued to explain and this is why it is imperative for every person to find their place to connect and lead.

God establishes leaders to make an impact on other people. The clear way any person can make an impact upon another is to build a relationship. Building relationships based upon clear goals and shared responsibility is the key to lasting leadership. To encourage and uplift a person in their abilities is to make them better and build them into a stronger individual. A goal of leadership is to enable people to act upon the vision. Leaders are to motivate and encourage people to see themselves embracing the vision and being able to own it for themselves.

The only way to improve an organization is to challenge the habits or processes that make it function. It takes humility and a teachable spirit for a person to improve and take constructive criticism. At the heart of any successful leader is a willingness to always be willing to improve. Without a good review of the process, there will be no improvement throughout the organization. With that being said, encouragement goes hand in hand with challenging the process. The motive of leadership is to help people come to a clearer understanding of themselves and become confident in their abilities.

People are in a continual need of hope. Leaders are to live and breathe hope for the future to become brighter. The book highlights some of the most important aspects of the leadership challenge that is faced in today’s culture. God’s plan has always been using people to complete God’s mission on the earth. Leaders are at the forefront of change and this change can have an eternal impact on the lives of many people who need the good news of Jesus Christ.

One example that I thought of while reading this book on leadership was that there are negative and positive ways to lead. One example for me was that when I first began in the youth ministry, I viewed parents as an obstacle versus them being a positive to the strength of the ministry. For some reason I believed that I could help the students and thought that most parents did not know how to help their students. Through conversations with numerous parents, I learned that parenting is my largest ally to the ministry. Instead of thinking that I had the answers, I would gather around me parents who were wise and more experienced in life and ask questions and learn from their advice.

I have learned in the past four years that leadership is a shared vision and not a “one man show.” My focus was upon the students and their view of me more than reaching the parents and encouraging them to be the spiritual influencers in their home. My passion now is to not only building relationships with students, but to encourage and equip parents to lead in the home and reinforce God’s Word into the lives of the students. One of the challenges of leadership is to be willing to admit faults and through these past years, I have learned that parents need encouragement and ministry just as much as the students.

The book was one of the best books that I have seen on leadership. I found that the author had clear and good examples of principles that could be applied in any leadership setting. One way that I hoped it would explain clearer is how to apply these principles in a ministry setting. One of the issues that I see with some books on leadership is that the topics and principles are broad and do not always give clear steps to apply. I did agree with the statement, “Leadership is everybody’s business.” It is true that too long organizations have pointed to one person as the savior of the mission. When people rally behind a vision and embrace it, strength and excitement will build into the future. The book clearly communicated the needed principles for leadership to grow and thrive. I could not find anything else negative about the book to critique, it was an excellent read and I plan to use it for the rest of my ministry as a foundational book for leadership.

This book was a refreshing look at the importance of understanding the foundation and heart of leadership. Through a passion to see people reach their potential and a desire to lead with integrity, organizations can thrive due to strong leadership. Leadership is a continual learning process that seeks to move people from mediocrity to greatness.

Buy the book here: "Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge"

---

[1] Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge, 2.

[2] Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge, 4.

Book Review of "Sharing Jesus without Fear"

William Fay was once a president and CEO of a business that owned one of the largest houses of prostitution. He also had ties with the mafia and was deeply caught up in a life of sin and found Christ through meeting a Christian on a racquetball court in Colorado. Since then, Fay has taught his clear approach to witnessing in churches worldwide in addition to sharing his faith personally with over twenty-five thousand people on a one-to-one basis. He graduated from Denver Seminary in 1987 and has written the series called, “Share Jesus Without Fear” for Lifeway Christian Resources. Sharing Jesus without Fear helps every day Christians communicate the gospel in a clear way so that people can understand the message of Jesus Christ.

Having a heart for the lost is the most important starting point in the process of reaching people with the gospel. The terms that were used to describe people in church, “those who talk about the lost and those who talk to the lost” have large ramifications if Christians are to impact lives. Passion is important to reveal the gospel in a way that shows people that Christians have a relationship with Christ that is transparent and real. The book contains William Fays’ incredible testimony and he shows the simple, but effective way to reach the lost. One good observation, on page 13, was the more a person witnesses, the deeper a person’s faith becomes. The encouraging reminder from this book is you can take the practical steps laid out and start right away. The method used is practical and the principles can be applied to both the scared believer and the seasoned soul-winner.

Learning how to share Jesus goes along with a heart for the lost. Knowledge of the gospel must lead to action in our daily lives. Using questions is a wise decision in finding out where God is working in a person’s life. The book clearly states that we should be willing to dialogue with people and their spiritual backgrounds as we share the gospel with them. The person’s answers will reveal their need and will help in guiding them into understanding the gospel. Connecting the person’s questions to the truth of God’s Word is vital in impacting lives for eternity. The method of Fay’s book points the lost person to a guided look at specific verses that reveal man’s sin and show the need for salvation. The book also encourages believers to refuse to go on the defensive but continually ask people the question, “why?” after they respond with a “no.” The book encourages believers to not respond with frustration if the person is not open to the gospel, but to dispel their defensiveness by showing that you care about their life and not just their accepting Christ right away. According to the book, it takes many times for someone to hear the gospel before they finally accept Christ. It reminds us that Christians are sharing Christ for the long haul and not just quick times of sharing the gospel.

One of the most important aspects that one can learn from the book is that if believers are faithful and obedient to witness, they are successful. The guiding factor of the last chapter is that the Holy Spirit is the one that shows us the spiritual side of someone that needs Christ and each person needs to be sensitive to the lost and the challenges that it brings in witnessing. The section on “Responding to the Challenge to Share Jesus” was good in pointing out that lost people must understand that becoming a Christian is based upon a faith relationship with Christ. It is good to remember that as Christians we are to communicate the gospel in a way that is realistic and accurate to God’s Word. The Christian life is not an easy road and there is much room for pain and struggle. The importance of knowing and loving God is the correct way to share with lost people. The importance of responding with love is beneficial to see life-change happen in a person’s life.

The author was incredibly successful in this book explaining the difficulty of sharing Jesus in today’s postmodern culture. Many people have a universalistic beliefs and how it often clouds their view of Christ. This clear demonstration of questions is a relevant way to bring out people’s true inquiries about knowing Christ. The quote, “success is living your Christian life, sharing the gospel, and trusting God for the results (pg. 21)” is a powerful statement that reminds Christians of the joy of being His ambassadors.

Sharing Jesus without Fear is a book not only built upon a standardized outline, but reliance upon the Holy Spirit to work in a person’s life. It does reflect the importance of knowing Scripture and applying it to real life situations. The book was quite clear upon the reality of Heaven and Hell and real people go to either place. The author clearly states his purpose of explaining the importance of viewing people as either lost or saved and from that comes the truth to witness with passion. One of the important aspects of the book was that we must not just enjoy the “act” of witnessing, but we must love people and obey Jesus’ command to share the gospel with a dying world. As Christians we are not the deciding force on people’s eternity and it is ultimately up to God to change and redeem fallen mankind. The book successfully communicates the philosophical and practical basis for witnessing to the lost.

One important aspect of sharing Jesus is that one must not discount the needs of the lost. The book is clear on understanding people’s needs and in obedience, sharing Jesus with them. The “harvest is plentiful and the workers are few” was solidly explained in illustrations from pastors in farming communities and adequately painted a clear picture. The author clearly illustrates throughout the book of real stories of people that came to know Christ through his process of sharing Jesus without fear.

It is important to note that many biblical characters were used to communicate the need for evangelism. One of the most noted verses was, “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). The book shares the importance of knowing Satan’s tactics and his goal to destroy our witness and to be silent about the gospel. The author dispels certain beliefs and some tough issues so that the reader can be confident to know how “give the reason for the hope.”

It is good how the author has placed many objections that lost people have in the book so there is a better understanding of how to respond. In order to see people saved, Christians will be bombarded with the questions and arguments of those who do not believe. The book helps in explaining the need for relational bridges to be built between people so that one can have the opportunity to turn the conversation towards the gospel. The book completes its goal by explaining the importance of using everyday conversations and being wise to turn them towards Christ. It is not the easy road to take in today’s culture because more and more people are less willing to be open. The book does speak some of the postmodern culture, but seeing that it was written in the 1990’s, there are more objections and issues when it comes to sharing the gospel. If only there were more emphasis in dealing with people of different religions it would be a complete look at evangelism. The reality is the book is for people to pick up and learn with relative ease and so going deeper into understanding many of the world’s beliefs would be a daunting task to say the least.

In teaching this process of evangelism, it would be a great example of leading people to own their faith. This book clearly encourages people that they can and should share their faith on a regular basis. This no-nonsense, clear-cut approach to spreading the good news of the gospel would be effective for the local church. Not only would this study be effective; but it would be helpful in using illustrations that resemble every day life. People need to know they can be successful in sharing the gospel and this book helps aid them in lifestyle evangelism.

As you read this book, the reminder of being available to God to share with the lost and leave the results up to God resounds throughout. The importance of moving beyond the facts about Christ to a personal relationship with Christ is communicated in a fresh way in this book. As we reach the world with the gospel, we must surrender ourselves to His Will and allow His spirit to move in our hearts so we can see what He sees. This book helps the everyday Christian see with Jesus eyes, hear with Jesus’ ears and respond with Jesus’ heart to this world. The joy that comes from obedience to God will help people know that we do not need to fear sharing Jesus with the world, but know that we, “will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…” Every Christian should read this book and apply its biblical applications, the result would be more people coming into a relationship with Jesus Christ!