Spiritual Growth – Page 4

The Questions You Asked… Part 3

Posted on August 6, 2011 by johnmarkum

Question: “Is it ok to ask out a girl who has a boyfriend?” Answer: I don’t have a Bible verse to go with this really… But here’s how I would see it: If she did say yes, and becomes your girlfriend, how much confidence do you have that she won’t leave you when the next guy asks her out? I don’t have a clear right/wrong answer on this, but most things that are “gray” are usually more black than white. Tread carefully…
Question: “Since Adam and Eve were the first humans, where did their sons’ wives come from?” Answer: Don’t be too grossed out, but… their sisters. God allowed it in the beginning for the propagation of the race. Hey! Facts aren’t always fun. Just be glad that you have more options now…
Question: “Does God hear the prayers of unbelievers?” Answer: God hears every prayer. The real question is, does He answer? As far as I’m concerned, I’m not entirely sure, though in general, I would elan toward “no.” I answer the needs/desires of my kids, but not usually those of the neighbor’s kid… One prayer is sure that God will listen to: Faith in Christ/Repentance of sin.
Question: “How can I know what my spiritual gift is?” Answer: By refusing to sit still hoping God will speak it to you in a dream or special revelation. I was not a great communicator when I surrender to full time ministry in 8th grade (You should have heard my first message… on second thought, no you shouldn’t!). When you open yourself up to letting God use you, instead of waiting for “something” to happen to you, God shows His will. Faith requires action. Your gifts will always be in the capacity of helping other people grow closer to God. And there are thousands of ways this could look for you. I made a post here on finding God’s will for your life. Hope that helps.
Question: “What does it really mean to have a walk/relationship with Jesus Christ?” Answer: When you stop asking “What can I get away with?” and start asking “How can I be like Jesus?” you’re getting close. The evidence can be found in how you treat others. I think I’ll give this more attention with it’s own blog post. Thanks for asking a great question that we all need to answer for ourselves!
Question: “What does it mean when a Christian ‘accepts Christ,’ gets baptized, does most of the right stuff, but they never give or serve anywhere? Are they really saved?” Answer: “Faith without works is dead.” What you believe is evidenced by what you do. But I don’t know if anyone is saved… except for me. I don’t know people’s hearts. I can only observe their outward behavior as indicators as to whats inside. In this case, I would suggest that you expand your idea of how gracious God is with His own children. Maybe this person just hasn’t matured to that point yet. If Christ has given them new life, they’ll get there. If they are not saved, then our response is still the same: Love them to Jesus! Let Him change them! I can’t change anyone… neither can you.
Question: “Did dragons/dinosaurs exist after the flood?” Answer: My thought? Yeah… they did. Maybe still do. Several “pre-historic” species (such as certain fish) were believed to long since evolved or died off that have been caught in the wild still. Job, in the Bible, refers to two creatures –Leviathon and Behemoth– that existed post-flood and sound dinosaur-esque. Some have tried to label these two creatures as a hippo/elephant and an alligator. But that just doesn’t fit. They sound like a dinosaur/dragon of some kind. And there is plenty of scientific theory to lend support as to how this may have been possible.

If you haven’t been to church in awhile, I hope you read this.

Posted on August 5, 2011 by johnmarkum

In ministry, we constantly see people come and go. On one hand, we have to focus on the people who will come, who will listen, who we can reach. But on the other hand, we love the people who haven’t been around. We long to see everyone growing in Christ, finding healing, and getting connected to others on the same spiritual journey. They are important to us, because we believe in the potential God has placed in them. And when we are being the church, God’s love is suppose to be flowing into us, overflowing, and pouring out on to others.

If you, or someone you know, has gotten out of the habit of being in church there are a variety of reasons you may have for not being there. Without a doubt most of them are good reasons and sound perfectly logical. So I’m not going to argue whether you have good reasons to miss or not. Instead let me give you a few reasons to come back. And not just show up again, but really get connected and belong. And if you do not have a church, or have been looking for a place to worship, I hope you’ll consider LifeCity Church, here in Santa Clara, CA…

It feels right – You know you would have a clearer conscious. If you truly belong to Christ, then there is a Holy Conscience inside of you telling you that you need to come back and be connected.
Worship – I missed church a week ago because I had family in town. The week I returned, I realized how much I missed our worship on Saturdays. Not just the songs. I could listen to most of them at home on my own. But I missed singing with my church and worshiping together with them. It’s something powerful!
The Word – By the teaching and preaching of the Bible, God challenges us. Yes, you can/should read the Bible on your own. No, that is not enough.
Relationships – You need people. People need you. You are a part of a whole. When you’re gone, the whole suffers. And so do you. We grow closer to God when we grow closer to each other. (John 17)
Purpose – You get to use your time and talents to be a part of helping other people reach their full potential in Christ. Every ministry plays a significant part, and you get the opportunity to unite your potential with that of others.

Come to church… I know you probably have a legitimate reason for being gone. But you’re missing out! God is alive and doing powerful things in His church. I know here at LifeCity, this Fall season is going to be epic! And the rest of this summer is building up for it.

Instead of finding a reason not to be there, challenge yourself to make a way to come back. In fact, just get back in church this weekend. Be ready to have a front-row seat to see what God is going to do! You’ll be blessed for making it!

Blessings,
Pastor John

How to treat a new follower of Christ

Posted on July 25, 2011 by johnmarkum

I find it interesting that many church people would cross mountain and sea to bring their friend or loved one to Christ. But afterwards many of these same people expect them to change over night. It just doesn’t happen that way. Here are a few things that every newer follower of Christ needs from the people in their life that are suppose to be more mature in the Lord:

Extra Grace: We’re suppose to be gracious to one another anyway, but especially to the person who has recently crossed the line of faith, we should understand that they need people to give them the benefit of the doubt and love them through some things. This often means patience as they identify themselves in the church family.
Accountability: Giving them more grace does not mean they get away with inappropriate behavior or sin. What it does mean, is that we help them see where they need growth, relate personally to their difficulties when possible, and encourage them that we’re all becoming more like Christ together.
Meaningful Friendships: The saying, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” applies to everyone. Personally, I choose to take my criticism from the people who love me. So newer followers of Jesus need people who genuinely care about them as a person and not just as a “prospect” to their church.
Opportunities to Grow: We all need new challenges to take us to higher levels. This is certainly true of a new believer. A baby wants to learn to roll over, then crawl, then walk, then run, then climb. New believers don’t want to sit in a crib forever either. They want a faith that is real, and we should encourage that. Help them find places to serve, share, learn, relate, and use their faith in practical ways.
Freedom: All of us need the ability to be who and what God created us for individually. There is plenty of room for us to be different and yet unified. Our goal is unity, not uniformity. There is a difference. We can all be ourselves in plenty of areas. We should encourage new believers to discover their uniqueness in Christ. This also means providing the safety for them to ask honest questions and get honest answers.

Whether you are a newer follower of Jesus or a veteran, we all have room to grow. And to the seasoned follower of Jesus, you’re missing a huge part of your own spiritual growth if you’re not willing to love a new brother or sister in Christ into your church family. Be like Jesus and be inclusive!

Blessings,

John