Category: Evangelism

The Time to Deal with Death

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By Paula Marolewski, July 11, 2010 4:29 pm

Today’s entry is an excerpt from the novella Wasteland:

In the social structure and order that I hope you enjoy, it is easy to feel contempt and embarrassment when the mention of sin is made. Sin is a gross term. An ugly one. We prefer to label it, “Freedom of choice.” “Alternative lifestyles.” “Situational ethics.” “Tolerance.” It’s fine to label a murderer as a murderer—unless, of course, that murderer holds political office, or is an upstanding citizen, or a savvy lawyer. Then it is a matter of “extenuating circumstances,” and at best, “manslaughter,” or preferably “temporary insanity.”

But to define wrong as sin, and to use images such as leprosy in order to convey it—that is a social faux pas of the first order. But that, too, is the first symptom of sin: for just as leprosy destroys nerve-endings so that the victim is not aware of decaying and wounded and rotting flesh, so also sin deadens our senses so that we are unaware of our decaying and wounded and rotting souls.

We throw a thousand excuses at sin. We claim that our dysfunctional families and society made us what we are. We agree that if it feels good, and doesn’t hurt anyone, it can’t be wrong. We affirm that if the end is good, any means is justified in attaining it.

But this is all hypocrisy and self-justification. Just as we claim that there are little sins and big ones. For if murder is the destruction of the body, isn’t gossip the destruction of trust? Slander the destruction of relationships? Adultery the destruction of fidelity? Isn’t anger as sharp a blow as physical abuse, and isn’t gluttony as much an orgy as alcoholism? And for the passive sins—isn’t sloth the killer of ingenuity? Pride the hammer-blow to equality? Envy the destroyer of peace?

If we can ever get on our knees enough to acknowledge sin, we will find damnation coming hard on its heels. This is another subject to be ignored by polite society. We all know that we sin, but we refuse to call it by its rightful name. We all know that we will die, but we dance desperately in the sun in a vain effort to stay the coming of the night. But once you realize the truth of your own immortality—once you hear the voice of your judge reverberating through the night-time of your soul—once you recognize sin for the rupture in the universe that it is—then you will know the fear of damnation. For to give up an infinite good—to spit in the face of Someone of infinite good—is an infinite evil demanding infinite retribution.

But that is not a topic of conversation for morning coffee breaks. We save it for the bedsides of the sick and dying, and wonder why the hopelessness remains.

The time to deal with death is when you are still alive. Afterwards, it is too late. Face your fears and doubts and questions while you have the strength to seek out the answers. The strength to hammer on the door of eternity until Truth lifts the latch.

For he who asks, receives. He who seeks, finds. And to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski

www.SinkYourRoots.com

 

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Wasteland

Seedling: Good News about the Good News

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By Paula Marolewski, July 11, 2010 4:14 pm

“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” – I Thessalonians 1:5

I have good news for you today about the Good News! Here it is: the success of evangelism doesn’t depend on you. You don’t have to have a silver tongue, a doctorate in theology, or deep insight into the human heart.

God only requires two things from you: a conviction of the truth and the willingness to speak that truth to the best of your ability. Then he adds two things of his own: divine power to trample the forces of hell and the Holy Spirit to restore and renew broken hearts.

Never worry about your human limitations. Don’t beat yourself up because you “botched” an opportunity. Don’t fall into despair because your sin got in the way of the message (repent, yes – but don’t despair!). God is so much bigger than your limitations, your failings, and your sins. After all, that’s what the Good News is all about!

  • Has anything ever kept you from sharing the Good News with others? If so, what?
  • Where have you seen God’s perfect grace work through your imperfections to accomplish his will?
  • Ask God for an opportunity to share the Good News!

 

Copyright © 2010, Paula J. Marolewski. All rights reserved.

Seedling: No Ivory Towers

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By Paula Marolewski, April 20, 2010 4:44 pm

“Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near to [Jesus] to listen to him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” – Luke 15:1-2

A word of warning: it can be all too easy to immure yourself in the Christian community. To only have friendships with Christians, to engage in activities exclusively with Christians, and to focus all your attention on Christians.

When you do, it can be very easy to slip into another attitude: looking down on anyone who associates with non-Christians. Getting on your religious high-horse and throwing up your hands in horror at anyone who (heavens!) befriends a practicing homosexual, a drug addict, an adulterer, a convicted felon … or even just an unchurched neighbor. After all, we must avoid the corruption of the world, right?

Yes, we must. But not by hiding away in ivory towers. Jesus kept himself unstained by the world, but he ate every day with tax-gatherers, sinners, and prostitutes. He touched lepers, unclean women, and the demon-possessed. He associated with Samaritans, Syrophoenicians, and Romans. He was, simply, “the friend of sinners.”

We are called to follow his example. 

  • Have you ever looked down on someone because they had friends who were “questionable”?
  • Have you ever avoided befriending someone because of their sin, past or present?
  • Would you rather live in the safety of the church than be a light of the world? If so, why?

 

Copyright © 2010, Paula J. Marolewski. All rights reserved.

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Restoring Our Love for the Lost

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By Paula Marolewski, November 11, 2009 5:23 pm

Evangelism. We’re all supposed to share the Good News with the people around us, but we often fail to do so. We’re afraid of rocking the boat, afraid of being inadequate to the task, afraid of rupturing the relationships we have with others.

But I wonder … is the real problem on occasion actually a matter of the heart? That we have lost our love for the lost?

If we really love someone and want to see them saved from an eternity in hell, isn’t it a measure of that love that we are willing to rock the boat to give them the opportunity to gain that infinite reward? Isn’t it worth stumbling for the right words, even opening our mouth and putting our foot in it, if it will give the true Word of God the chance to be heard? If our relationship with someone is really of value to us, don’t we want it to continue – forever?

Have we lost our love for the lost? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son…” (John 3:16).

What are we willing to give?

How much do we truly love?

 

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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