Jesus – Page 6 – John Markum

I Know Nothing

Posted on March 4, 2011 by johnmarkum

That might be a little exaggeration, but not by much! God constantly blows my mind on what He can do. Today was one of those days. I’ve come to realize that the more I learn about God, the more obvious it is that I know nothing. I’m not saying that I’m stupid or ignorant, or uneducated. I’m just saying that I do NOT have God figured out like I think that I do sometimes.

God is so much bigger than my small imagination.

He cannot be quarantined to a formula.

He cannot be measured on any scientific instrument.

He cannot be predicted by any calculations.

He’s revealed Himself to us through His Word, and through a person (Jesus) and yet our ability to know all that we can about Him is limited by our own nature. It’s like trying to describe a rainbow to a blind man, or a symphony to the deaf. We simply lack the senses to fully understand how great God is.

But occasionally there are moments where we get an inkling – a faint brush with the Infinite One – where it dons on us how much we don’t completely get about him. Like the deaf man hearing just a single note, or the blind man catching a glimpse of a sun ray. These are moments that take our breath away, fill us with amazement, and a delightful hunger for more.

Such are true encounters with God that make us say, “What was THAT?!?” and, “Let’s do it again!”

Don’t be discouraged in the pursuit of God. Live for the moments that God shows up in a big way and overwhelms our limited senses with what could be, and what should be. Once you have “tasted and seen that the Lord is good” you will long for more of His presence in your life. And don’t underestimate the significance of the small things God does. Allow everyday moments to take your breath away and realize, “That was God.” Not only will you start to see Him everywhere, you’ll also begin to see the potential of all that He wants to do.

If you thought that beam of sunlight was cool, wait until you see the rainbow!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord. Thoughts of good and not evil. Thoughts of hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not understand.” Jeremiah 33:3

“Who having not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him, and are filled with unspeakable joy, full of glory.“ 1 Peter 1:8

Blessings,

John

3 Ways to Lose your Soul

Posted on March 1, 2011 by johnmarkum

New series: 3 Ways to lose your soul

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” – Matthew 16:26. Everyone has faith… Some put theirs in a list of do’s and don’ts . Some in money. Some in people. But what if the things that we’ve been living our lives for are all empty? What if the very things that we have put our faith in are the same things that will make us lose it all… even our soul? And more importantly: How do we avoid losing our soul?

Join us on Saturday nights for some real soul searching. Begins March 5th, 6 pm. To know more about The Awakening, go to: www.qcawakening.com

Blessings,

John

Challenge #3: Share Christ

Posted on February 21, 2011 by johnmarkum

Edgewood Challenge #3: Share Christ: Lead one person to the Lord.

This is one that I am particularly excited about! This task may seem daunting to many of my readers so I want to give you 3 levels of evangelism and ask each of you to graduate through all 3 levels as you have opportunities to do so.

1) Pray

Anyone can pray. Make a short list of people that are already in your sphere of influence that are far from God and need to experience new life in Christ. Pray for them daily by name. Ask God to soften their heart and to give you the opportunity to take the next step with them.

2) Pursue

This requires you to open your mouth and say something to them. It only has to be as awkward as you want to make it. We offer invite cards to many of our services (including The Awakening on Saturday nights, and Elevate on Sunday mornings for teens). Use an invite card and simply say something like, “It would really mean a lot to me if you came to this with me this week. I hope you’ll at least consider it.” Maybe they will come. Maybe they’ll be impacted by the Gospel. Maybe they’ll give their life to Christ right then and there. Don’t underestimate the power of a sincere invitation. The “Pursue” level can be summed up in 2 words “Invest” in your relationships, and “Invite” them to a worship experience.

3) Pursuade

Given the opportunity, you should always be willing to “give an answer for the hope that is within you.” You don’t have to know a ton of Scripture, though knowing a few verses can definitely help. Bottom line though is share your faith-changing experience of when you came to Christ, and give them an opportunity to do the same. Edgewood is working on some classes in the near future to help you do that and feel less awkward about it. In the meantime, just tell them how you gave your life to Christ.

I believe that as our church becomes faithful in sharing Christ, that we will soon begin to hear countless stories of life change. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessings,

John