Jojo Agot

Boring Testimonies

Wise words from Stephen Altrogge about people who don’t have very dramatic conversion testimonies:

Don’t be disappointed that you don’t have a gripping, over-the-top testimony. Don’t feel like you somehow missed out. Will you get to tell your story in front of large audiences? Probably not. But that’s a good thing. Be grateful that God spared you from the heart-breaking, soul-wrenching consequences of some sins. Be grateful that God saved you before you could wreck your life. Be grateful that you’re not carrying years of baggage around with you.

Are You Allah, Or Jesus?

Nabeel Qureshi’s gut-wrenching prayer as he was on the verge of accepting the truthfulness of the Christian message:

“Who is my Lord? Who are You, Lord? Are You Allah, the God of my father and forefathers? Are You the God I have always worshiped? The God my family has always worshiped? Surely You are the one who sent Muhammad as the final messenger for mankind and the Quran as our guide? You are Allah, the God of Islam, aren’t You? Or are You…” I hesitated, fighting the blasphemy I was about to propose. But what if the blasphemy was the truth?

“Or are You Jesus?”

Continue reading Are You Allah, Or Jesus?

A Thousand Years

“I have loved you for a thousand years,
I’ll love you for a thousand more.”

Tall promises for finite beings whose lifespan hardly reaches a hundred years. Still our hearts buy the romance because deep within us our souls yearn for an eternity of joy that only Christ can give.

Losing the Center

This is a very interesting point in chapter 4 of Pastor Steve Murrell‘s book 100 Years From Now. He was writing about Joseph and Mary’s trip to to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast and losing Jesus on their way back home to Nazareth. The story begs the question: Is it really possible to do all things religious and still miss the point of it all?

The answer is apparently yes. Church history is littered with stories of people, churches and movements that have gone a little bit sidetracked with something else other than Jesus. Not that they drove Jesus completely out of their churches but that, for some reasons, Jesus is no longer front and center of the life of their congregations. Continue reading Losing the Center

There’s a Difference…

There’s a difference between knowing you’re a bad person and knowing you’re a sinner. Many people are aware of their badness but not everyone will admit to their sinfulness. Bad people make up for their badness by doing good stuff. Sinful people need to repent and come to Jesus.

Raising Up Leaders

Raising up leaders and disciple makers should be intentional from the very start. You can’t just form discipleship groups aimlessly and hope that some of them will become leaders someday. You have to train them, coach them, and point them towards that direction.