Tag: Faith

In the context of religion, one can define faith as confidence or trust in a particular system of religious belief, within which faith may equate to confidence based on some perceived degree of warrant, in contrast to a definition of faith as being belief without evidence.
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What Would Jesus Pin?

The phrase “What would Jesus do?” (often abbreviated to WWJD) became popular in the United States in the 1990s and as a personal motto for adherents of Evangelical Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the actions of the adherents.  This saying has become a guiding principle for many Christians.

As simple as it seems, the question—What would Jesus Do?—still leaves us  wondering.

However, we’re flipping that around and asking you the question, WWJP—Would #Jesus Pin? or Post?  Do You Really Want to Know?

First Peter 2:21 says that Jesus left us “an example, that we should follow in his steps.” So, it’s admirable and biblical to ask “WWJP  —What would Jesus Pin?”  

Everyone who knows anything about the gospels—and even those who don’t—knows at a basic level that Jesus was a friend of #sinners.  Yet we  find ourselves constantly challenged by Jesus’s example to make sure we do not turn away outsiders in a way that Jesus never would.

If the truth be told Jesus was a friend of sinners not because he winked at sin, ignored sin, or enjoyed light-hearted revelry with those engaged in immorality. Jesus was a friend of sinners in that he came to save sinners.

We  looked at the four gospels with the  above  question in mind and discovered seven priorities that guided Jesus.  He would seek the Father for the strength and wisdom to embrace, restore, confront, teach, serve, and equip the people around him.

These seven priorities should drive us back to the gospels to take a fresh look at how Jesus lived. As users of the social networking websites  we need to keep asking ourselves—#What Would Jesus Pin?  or Post. It’s a great question. But remember: If you’re not sure what Jesus actually did in his life, then you’re just guessing at what he might do in yours.

We’ve included some of the most compelling photos posted to Godinterest this week.

I love doing these portraits, and our friend suits them perfectly!

Lucky enough to go into the enclosure with Mia, this gorgeous female #cheetah at the WHF Centre in Smarden, Kent

A  Chinese paramilitary police recruit being shipped to start his service in the Zhejiang province began to tear up in this photo, taken on Dec. 12, 2010.

Kevin Berthia was talked out of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge by this police officer in 2005. He has since become an advocate for suicide prevention and has started a family.

Starving boy and #missionary

True  #love

We  want to hear  from you, when you write a message, share a photo, or a video online, do you stop and think about what it says about you as a  believer?  

 

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David Cameron: I am evangelical about Christian faith

Prime Minister David Cameron speaks up on the significance of the Christian faith.

Cameron  has declared himself an “evangelical” about his Christian faith as he criticised some non-believers for failing to grasp the role that religion can have in “helping people to have a moral code”.

David Cameron famously described his Christian faith as being a “bit like the reception for Magic FM in the Chilterns: it sort of comes and goes”. Yet recently, the signal appears to have been amplified. Mr Cameron has already praised the contribution that Christians make to society, referred to Jesus as “our saviour” and spoken of the “moments of greatest peace” that he has experienced attending the Eucharist. But in a new article in the Guardian he appears to go further than ever before, urging Christians to be “more evangelical” about their beliefs – to “get out there and make a difference to people’s lives”.

In his third effort this week to highlight his own strong faith, the prime minister said he wanted to see a bigger role for religion in Britain as a Christian country and urged fellow believers to be more confident in spreading their views.

It comes after several big clashes between the coalition and the church, including a  letter this week from 40 Anglican bishops and 600 church leaders calling on all political parties to tackle the causes of food poverty. Previous tensions have been caused by Cameron’s decision to introduce gay marriage, and deep cuts in welfare benefits

Here in Britain “we don’t do God”.

Those who know him say that the Prime Minister has always had a quiet but profound faith, one that helped him come to terms with the death of his eldest son. But this candour is not only new, but something of a departure for those in his position. Tony Blair was certainly a committed Christian, but was urged by Alastair Campbell to keep quiet about it on the grounds that here in Britain “we don’t do God”.

Actually, the British sometimes do “do God”.

How refreshing, then, to have a Prime Minister who is willing to talk openly about the values that motivate him. How refreshing, also, to be reminded that, actually, the British sometimes do “do God”.

We are a Christian country, whose laws, ethics, language and culture are the product of a particular religious foundation. True, church attendance may be falling (although not everywhere, as the Archbishop of Canterbury has reminded us). But polls show that there is a lingering popular desire for the transcendent and the meaning that it brings to believers’ lives. And Christians – along with Jews, Muslims and other faith groups – continue to play a large role in education and charity.

 

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Jesus! We Can Help You Share Him Online.

Share Jesus Without Fear  

Do you want to share Jesus without fear? Perhaps the thought of sharing your faith in Jesus Christ causes feelings of fear and guilt in your heart.

Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This command illustrates God’s desire to include us in His wonderful plan to redeem mankind.

“We believe that the Gospel and social media should go together like peanut butter and jelly. The purpose of this site is to help YOU.”

With so many people in the world connected online, the Godinterest website aim is to help Christians share their faith in Jesus. People can then engage with the  content you post  and have  an opportunity to become a follower of Jesus.

This means that whenever you post meaningful content about Jesus on Godinterest you provide an  opportunity for others to be part of the greatest story on earth.

 

Rethink Sharing Your Faith

Everyone who interacts with  the  content you post will be presented with an opportunity to engage with the gospel.

This Is Just The Beginning

Interact with those who response to the media you post.

Start the conversation about what it means to be a follower of Jesus and if it’s appropriate, try to  help  connect them with either your church or a local church group in their area.

Also encourage them to use Godinterest  to share the really great news about Jesus with their friends.

Note: If this seems overwhelming, don’t stress! You don’t have to do everything at once, and you don’t have to be perfect. Try sharing existing content with Friends and Family.  

Question: What avenues have you discovered to share Jesus with the online world? What have you found challenging in doing so?

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Stone-Throwing Christians

Social media has taken root in the lives of many. While there are many benefits to it, its drawbacks are rapidly overtaking any positive results and effects of them. We expect to come across bullying, slander, threats, and all things malicious in the world of the Lost, but when we come across Christians partaking of all that is wrong with social media, then something is wrong.

I once believed (naively so), that Christians would not bash each other on social media. Imagine my dismay when I was, to put it simply, attacked by one who professed to be a Believer. My eyes were abruptly opened then, and the rose-tinted glasses that I used to wear were ripped off with great force. It’s funny how once you see something, you cannot ‘unsee’ it. Furthermore, you start to see it everywhere. If you were to put a Christian and an Unsaved in a boxing ring of words, there is no telling who would win. This goes against everything that we stand for and believe in our faith, and it’s really sad to see.

Jesus gave us many teachings were are to live by. One of the most important ones and a commandment at that was to love your neighbor as yourself. If we do not understand what love is, then we go to 1 Corinthians 13. Everything that we do as Believers should be done in love, and while I do understand that we do not get it right all the time, we do have to make the effort to think before we speak or rather think before we type scathing remarks. We have to remember that what comes out of our mouths (whether spoken or written) is an indication of what condition our hearts are in. We are not doing ourselves or others any favors by negatively commenting on their posts- even if they are wrong. Remember when Jesus said that he who has no sin should throw the first rock? That woman was caught in sin and by law should have been stoned (could this have included the men that she sinned with?), but she wasn’t because those people didn’t have a leg to stand on. And there was our Jesus- the most kindest and loving Man that ever walked the earth- crouching on the ground, writing who knows what in the dust, and being completely calm about the energy-charged atmosphere. One by one, they all turned away until Jesus was the only one left. And what did He say? He said that he wouldn’t condemn her and that she should sin no more. The only One that had never sinned in His entire life would not pick up a stone to kill the woman. Why do we believe that it is acceptable to attack people on social media? We attack their faith, their ‘holiness’, their level of knowledge of the Bible, their pictures, comments… the list is endless.

I completely understand that at times, Believers post things that are inappropriate or inaccurate (concerning GOD’S Word). Some of them aren’t even true Believers, but wolves in sheep’s clothing, looking to stir some things up, and many Christians take the bait. Before we know it, we’re in a bitter war of words and it just gets out of hand. We sit behind our screens (many people hide their identities with made up names and ‘anonymous’) and create these words that cut into people, anger people, shame people and even lead people to take their own lives. How do we know that our comment wasn’t the cherry on the death cake of someone’s downward spiral to suicide? We only see what is on our screens, but we know nothing of the person behind the post. And there is absolutely no use in saying ‘well, that person should not have posted that in the first place!’ because it doesn’t work with Jesus. We will be giving an account of our own lives to GOD- ‘that person did this, so I did/said this’ is not going to cut it with the Almighty. You are responsible for your own words and actions.

There is a way to lovingly correct someone, and there is a way to tear them down and attack them. We have the latter one down pat, but we lack the ability to lovingly correct each other. I find that people who are mature in faith and truly understand that love is the way to go when correcting a fellow brother or sister in Christ, will either refrain from commenting at all and rather pray for the person, or will choose their words very carefully and give the truth. Yes, some people will still see the loving correction as an attack and get mad, but that is only their conscience talking. You are not condoning anything by refusing to leave a comment, but if you do believe that you should say something in response to someone, then please choose your words carefully and make sure that it is Scripturally based. Don’t comment in an attempt to ‘be right’, ‘school this person’, or even to prove how much more of a Christian you are than the next person.

Do everything knowing that the Holy Spirit is right there and is a witness to all that you do. If you find that you cannot (or will not) control your hand on that keyboard when it comes to commenting, then get off social media and immerse yourself in GOD’S Word until you can better control your impulses. Let’s be true ambassadors of Christ and control our tongues.

(Although my words are stern and straightforward, they were written in love and a need to bring to attention a part of our lives that we have neglected. By no means am I perfect or always right, but GOD’S Word is always true and never changes.)

 

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