How We Christians Stay Connected

Just as we take being constantly connected to the Internet for granted, we also take our connection to our Lord and Master as a given. Like 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (BBE) says, "Keep on with your prayers."

Praying without ceasing doesn't mean we must be on our knees all day long. It's the attitude of knowing Christ is always with us and all we need do is pray and trust in him. When Jesus said he would return to his disciples in a little while, he commanded them in John 16:23 (BBE), "And on that day you will put no questions to me. Truly I say to you, Whatever request you make to the Father, he will give it to you in my name."

Christ also promised his disciples, and us by extension, in Matthew 28:19 and 20 (BBE), "Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world."

In the old days of the Internet, people had to use their phone lines and a modem to connect. It was slow and often unreliable. Downloading files was the same way.

So it was that the Spirit of the Lord would come on certain people and then leave. As the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 20:14 (BBE), "Then, before all the meeting, the spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite and one of the family of Asaph;"

Sometimes the Spirit of the Lord stayed with people while departing from others. We read in 1 Samuel 16:13 and 14 (BBE), "Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on him there among his brothers: and from that day the spirit of the Lord came on David with power. So Samuel went back to Ramah. Now the spirit of the Lord had gone from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was troubling him."

But praise God that we need not worry. The Holy Spirit, also known as the Spirit of the Lord, is our seal of salvation. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:13 (KJV) "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"

What a joy it is then that we are always in touch with our Master. He, and the two other members of the Trinity, are with us always. And nobody can rob us of them, as I found out personally.

I'll be writing more about the permanent connection we have with the Trinity in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Unlike unconverted sinners, we have the astonishing privilege of being joined to the creator of the universe.

On Thursday, I'll be posting about something that sounds like a new dance craze. It's in fact the sign of a person being truly born again.

What is the Great Commission?

Many Christians mention what they call "the Great Commission" but I doubt they understand the fullness of its tri-fold purpose. I hope this month to publish what the Bible says about this most important command which Christ gave his followers.

After his resurrection, Jesus gave this directive to his disciples. Matthew 28:19 and 20 (BBE) reads, "Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world."

There are three parts to the command. The first part is to go into all the world and preach the good news of salvation. Why, Apart from Christ commanding us to do so, must we do this? Paul sums this up logically in Romans 10:14 (BBE) which says, "But how will they give worship to him in whom they have no faith? and how will they have faith in him of whom they have not had news? and how will they have news without a preacher?"

Paul and Barnabas also told the Jewish leaders in Acts 13:47, (BBE) saying, "For so the Lord has given us orders, saying, I have given you for a light to the Gentiles so that you may be for salvation to the ends of the earth."

But does this apply to us in the twenty-first century? It sure does. Scripture says in Acts 2:38 and 39 (BBE), "And Peter said, 'Let your hearts be changed, every one of you, and have baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will have the Holy Spirit given to you. For the word of God is for you and for your children and for all those who are far off, even all those who may be marked out by the Lord our God."

Salvation is for every single person throughout the world and this current age. Colossians 3:11 (KJV) explains, "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."

What a wonderful promise this is. And because the Internet lets us reach anybody who has a social media account and e-mail, we can reach practically all the world.

I'll explain further about this when I publish my book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Like Star Trek's prime directive, we who place our trust in Christ are bound by this command from our Lord and Master.

On Thursday, I'll post about the second part of this commission: baptism.