Jesus: Perfecter of "social networking"

We are grateful for the technology of social networking companies that allows access to one another. This connection spans the globe and instantaneously puts us in touch without any cost to us. Posting pictures, telling a story, griping about an unfortunate incident, or just wanting to make a statement, we are glad for social media platforms that gives us this outlet.

This is nothing new. It just a new means of expressing a time-old tradition of communicating with one another.When Jesus gave us the "Great Commission" to "go unto the world" to make disciples, he was initiating what we would call, today, "social networking." I guess you could say that Jesus invented it...sorry Facebook!

I think the Great Commission is much like "Facebook" and a lot like "Twitter" where we share our lives and our faith by everyday, ordinary means of communication and socializing with one another in verbal and visual ways. Helping a neighbor in their garden, giving a ride to a friend, saying a kind word to the cashier at Walmart, and giving directions to a total stranger who is lost and wants to know how to get back on the Interstate.

I also firmly believe that the "social networking" of our faith is sharing our lives with others. We are to be given to "hospitality" and being a loving neighbor. We follow the example of Jesus (such as with Zacchaeus) to also met the felt needs of others through fellowship and hospitality.

Whether that is a dinner in your home or inviting them to church events outside of Sunday Worship such as the men's and women's prayer meeting, youth group, or even sending them the audio/video MP3 file of the Sunday worship service, there is a way to share your faith beyond just getting them into the Sanctuary on a Sunday Morning or walking them through "The Romans Road."

You don't have to "win" someone to Christ on the first encounter. Through the everyday, ordinary way of "social networking" of living in fellowship with our neighbor can be one of the greatest ways to introduce them to Jesus and to introduce to them His wonderful plan of Salvation. Amen!

Cross of St. Peter

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Stay Focused!

Since the birth of social media and 24-hour news organizations, we have quickly seen that information (true or false) travels quickly. It reminds me of words from the infamous church camp song “Pass It On” which states “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” We have seen how quickly sparks of information can set our emotions into flame with the recent deaths of Charlie Kirk and Melissa Hortman. Their senseless deaths set off a blaze of responses due to their murders being categorized as assassinations. Sadly, this isn’t anything new. Just hearing the word “assassination,” we think of people such as John and Robert Kennedy, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X. We can even go back in time to notable leaders as Abraham Lincoln and Julius Ceasar. Yes, it is true what Solomon remarked in Ecclesiastes 1:9 , “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Evil is doing what evil does. Therefore, since we (...

Following Orders

The current state of affairs around the world today is one of unprecedented rules, regulations and precautions. We are not only washing our hands, sanitizing and staying at home for weeks, but practicing the art of “social distancing.” What was once an absurd concept and not overly conceivable is now the norm of behaviors in our communities. However, despite the precautions needed to slow down the spread of the coronavirus and guidelines issued by various governing authorities, there are those vigilantes who continue to march by the beat of their own drum. Their actions are drawing unnecessary attention. In the realm of faith, there are those pastors who continue to open their church sanctuaries for regular services. Although the request has been to shelter in place, close services to large gatherings and not to meet in groups of more than ten, we still see those churches still gathering in large crowds on Sundays in defiance to not only rules set by governors, but the Pr...

Clever Free Methodist

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