Jealous Evangelizing

Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them.
- Romans 11:13-14

Many of the Jews had rejected Jesus. So Paul went to preach to the Gentiles, knowing that this would make the Jews jealous and willing to accept the teaching of Christ.

We are also called to evangelize to others, and like St Paul, we can use a form of jealousy to do it. When we live a truly faith-filled life, we can't help but let our joy shine through. There is always something to be grateful for. There are always blessings to count. When trouble comes our way, we can face it with confidence, knowing God is there to help us. Our souls are at peace, knowing there are wonderful things to come.

When others see how our lives are filled with joy, peace and confidence, they will want to know where it comes from. And they will want it too. They will long to have what we have, and that is the first step on a journey to faith.

I know this method works, because it was part of the reason I myself was converted. So live a faith-filled life, and be prepared to make someone jealous today.

The Power of Prayer

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
- Isaiah 56:7

Prayer is powerful. It can save lives, both physically and spiritually. St Augustine's mother, Monica, prayed for years that her son would be converted. And he was. People on the brink of death have recovered following intense prayer by their family and friends. But there is an even more powerful aspect of prayer. It allows us to talk to God.

Think about that for a moment. The God who created the entire universe has given us a way to speak directly to Him. And it gets better still. Through prayer, that same, powerful Creator speaks back to us. Yes, our God doesn't shut Himself off from us. He is not too important for us. We are His children. He is our Father. And what loving father would cut off all communication with his beloved children?

God wants us to talk to Him. He wants to hear our problems and struggles. He also wants to hear about our joys and successes. He doesn't require that we pray eloquently, and he doesn't want to hear recitations of written prayers. God wants us to simply tell Him what is in our hearts. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

When we learn to give everything to God, we will experience a powerful release. When you have a problem, doesn't it help to talk to someone about it? When you have good news, aren't you bursting to share it with someone? Make that someone God. He is always there, always ready to listen. You don't have to wait until He gets home. You don't have to wait until you get home. Whenever you need to talk, just start talking.

When you share a problem with a friend, do you expect to get some advice? Do you listen to that advice? Do the same with God. He wants to help you with your problems. Learn to listen to His advice and guidance, in prayer.

Maybe the best thing about prayer though, is that it is available to anyone. You don't have to belong to a certain church. You don't have to belong to a church at all. You don't have to be baptized or ordained, or receive any special sacrament. Anyone can pray, anywhere, any time. God is always listening.

Don't Go

Jesus said to them, "There is no need for them to go away."
- Matthew 14:16

This is the prelude to the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus has just heard that John the Baptist has been murdered, and heads off alone in a boat to a deserted place to mourn. The crowds of followers are so desperate to see Him that they follow Him on foot to the deserted place. When Jesus sees them He is moved by their dedication, and puts aside His grief to heal and teach them.

When it gets late, His disciples tell Him to dismiss the crowd so that they can go and find food in the nearby villages. Even though they are hungry and far from home, the people are reluctant to leave Jesus' presence unless He explicitly tells them to go. Jesus knows this, and is again moved by their dedication. He sees no reason why they should have to leave if they don't want to, and provides for their needs instead.

If we love Jesus, we will seek Him out, even if that means traveling a long way, or into unknown parts. If we long to be in His presence, He will not send us away. He will heal us and teach us, and provide for our needs.

The Great Barrier

What will separate us from the love of Christ?
- Romans 8:35

There us only one thing that can separate us from the love of Christ: sin. St Paul lists many things that we think might separate us: anguish, distress, persecution, death. But through all these things, we still have the love of God in Jesus.

Sin is the only thing that creates a barrier. The bigger the sin, the bigger the barrier. The love of Christ is still there on the other side. But no matter how big the barrier is, when we repent and ask for forgiveness, the barrier falls. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, if that is what we truly desire.

You Are a Field

Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers, blessing its yield.
- Psalm 65:11

All farmers know that to produce a good crop you have to prepare the field first. The soil needs watering and tilling to break up the big clods of earth, so that the roots can go deep and the shoots can break through into the sunlight.

What a wonderful analogy for us too. God is our farmer, we are His fields, and His Word and the Holy Spirit are His seeds. If we want to be good soil (see Wednesday's post), we need to allow God to prepare the field.

God will drench its furrows. He drenches us with love. We should also soak up knowledge, wisdom and understanding through bible study and prayer.

God breaks up the clods. This is the tough one. If we want the roots of God's seeds to go deep, we have to allow Him to break up those things that are in the way. If we want the shoots of God's seeds to sprout and break through to the light, He needs to break down the barriers we create. Once the clods in our life are gone, then our faith will be rooted deeply, and we can break through into the Son Light.

God softens the land with showers. God never ceases to shower us with His blessings and mercy. He will pour out on us everything we need to survive, everything we need to grow, everything we need to thrive. And He continues to soften us, to ensure the clods don't return, that the earth does not harden, so that the seeds can continue to grow.

God blesses its yield. When we allow God to cultivate us, He will bless the crops that we produce. When we allow God to be our farmer, He will bless all that we do. God's seeds can only produce good crops. But first we have to let Him prepare the field.



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Make Every Word Count

Thus says the LORD: "My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it."
- Isaiah 55:11

God is talking about Jesus here. Jesus is God's Word, whom He sent out to do His will. Jesus did not return to God until He had achieved the end for which He was sent.

Although our words are just words, they can still hold much power, and we should choose them carefully. A careless word thrown out without thought can cause great distress and harm. But the right word at the right time could result in salvation. If we do it right, we can 'send out' our words and accomplish many things. Words of comfort to someone grieving. Words of advice to someone in trouble. Words of faith to someone searching.

How can we be sure we are choosing the right words? God's Word was guided by the Holy Spirit. Ours should be too. Whenever possible, and especially in high pressure situations, take a moment to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for His guidance. Ask for the right words to say, and words NOT to say. Let Him speak through you, and you can be sure that your words will make a difference.



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Good Soil

To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
- Matthew 13:12

This verse comes after the parable about the sower, which is one of my favorites. The image of the Word of God as seeds falling on various types of soil is easy to understand, and each of us can see ourselves in there somewhere, hopefully as the 'good soil'! But the people to whom Jesus originally told this parable did not understand it, leading His disciples to ask Him why He taught in parables. His response includes the verse above.

As first I did not understand Jesus' response. It seems rather harsh and unfair. So I checked my bible's notes, and discovered that Jesus is not talking about physical possessions and money, but about faith and understanding. To anyone who accepts the revealed mystery - Jesus - God will grant more understanding. Those who reject Jesus will lose what little wisdom they had in the matter.

So to understand God's Word, we must first accept Jesus, and have faith in Him. We must believe that He is the Son of God, that He died for our sins, that He rose from the dead and that He will come again. Once we have that faith, then wisdom and understanding will follow, because God will grant it to us.

Let the seed of God's Word fall on good soil in you. Then it will grow and bear much fruit.



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