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Questions appropriate for printing in the War Cry will be answered through this column.
Dear Trying:
Sharing news about Je-
sus is the responsibility
of every person who has
surrendered his/her life
to the will of God through
Jesus Christ. Beyond
responsibility, our hearts
should move us to share, knowing that
so many are going through life with-
out the first clue about the truth of
our world and our existence. We have
the answer to the deep groanings and
longings of the human spirit. Our spirits
need to be in relationship with the Holy
Spirit who created us in the first place.
Nothing will be as it should be until we
are reconciled to our God.
In our 21
st
century world, it is difficult
to discern whether all who are living in
sin KNOW that they
are doing so, due
Dear Fleeting:
Given your description of the short time the chil-
dren are actually in your home, I am assuming
that this is a stepfamily situation. Not mentioned
is how long your family has been together. These
things are important because one researcher has
discovered that it takes two or three years for
stepfamilies to begin to think or act like a fam-
ily. Other research has shown that about seven
years is necessary for the average stepfamily to
integrate sufficiently and to begin forming true
relationships. While there are things you can still
do now to impact your children spiritually, it is
important to remember that time and shared
experiences are valuable in the development of
relationships and trust. Often, it is through rela-
tionships that spiritual values are best communi-
cated and received.
A good plan of action now would include daily
attention to your own relationship with Christ,
seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit, being sen-
sitive to the opportunities that the Spirit provides
for sharing or teaching the children, and allowing
all in your home to see how your journey with
Jesus makes a difference in your life.
Dear Aunt Sally:
Our children are only with us two
weekends each month. In our short
times together, how can we ensure
that we are making as much of a
spiritual impact as possible on them?
--Fleeting Opportunities
33
The War Cry | OCTOBER 2013
to the decades of societal drift away
from God. Today, there appears to be
a determination to destroy all things
that are holy, pure, righteous and in any
way connected to God. In fact, on many
fronts there appears to be a movement
to force righteous people to daily face,
tolerate and actually embrace sin.
One thing is clearly obvious: People
today desperately need God.
There are so many ways to reach our
world for God; and they
can be found in count-
less books, classes,
articles, seminars and
internet websites avail-
able on the subject.
Of crucial importance
would be these four
items:
First
, make sure of your relationship
with Christ. Keep it vibrant, fresh, cur-
rent. Talk to Him. Read of Him. Never
stop trying to learn of Him. Be a part of
a church through which you can corpo-
rately worship and continue to grow in
your spiritual walk.
Second
, move in concert with The
Holy Spirit, always seeking, watching,
ready to move when He presents the
opportunity.
Third
, remember that witnessing
really is just sharing your experience
of walking through life with Jesus and
having a relationship with God. We are
loved, and loved with the highest, pur-
est and most trusted of loves.
Fourth
, guard your heart. No one is
above being drawn into sin. Satan will
not be happy that you are reaching out
to those whom He has under his dark
influence and bondage. And do not
heed the temptation to compromise
on the issues the Bible clearly says
are sinful. These are non-negotiables.
Remember the Scripture that says, "If
anyone, then, knows the good they
ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin
for them" (James 4:17).
Dear Aunt Sally:
I have struggled with how to
interact with people who are
knowingly living in sin. How can
I show Christ's love to them with-
out supporting or appearing to
support their choices?
--Trying to Be Like Jesus
"One thing is
clearly obvious:
People today
desperately
need God."
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9/13/13 3:49 PM