What Would Jesus Do?

What Would Jesus Do? – Fad or Compass For Life’s Choices
“What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) is a question that almost everyone is familiar with. Chances are you’ve seen this catchy phrase strung on lanyards, on a co-worker’s coffee mug, on the bumper of the car in front of you, or even on “Bill Board’s Top 200” chart (WWJD Album). How did these four letters become so popular, sparking a cultural revolution of sorts in the youth of America? Is this merely a fad spun by cunning retailers to sell “Christian paraphernalia,” or does this question really have significance for the way we should live our lives?

What Would Jesus Do? – How This All Came About
“What Would Jesus Do?” all started with a youth group from the Calvary Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan. As members of “Generation X,” they wanted to influence their community for Christ. Inspired by the 1896 Charles Sheldon Book, “In His Steps” (which asked the same query), these youths were moved to apply this question to the daily choices that they all faced. As a tangible reminder, they had simple cloth bracelets made that used the abbreviation, WWJD. The bracelets caught the attention of friends, classmates, parents, and town’s people. Soon, almost everyone was wearing one of these bracelets. As their popularity grew, the bracelets were mass-marketed, causing the retail revolution that we see today.

To the youths of Calvary Reformed Church in Michigan, “What Would Jesus Do?” had nothing to do with fad, popularity or wealth. They asked this question because their lives had been transformed by what Jesus taught and did about 2,000 years ago. They desired to influence their community by living their lives the way Christ taught. They wanted to give their faith a tangible connection to their everyday lives.

What Would Jesus Do? – The Answer Depends on Whether we Know Jesus
Before we can ask the question “What would Jesus do?” we must ask ourselves whether we know Jesus. Knowing Jesus begins with reading about His life, teachings and claims in the Bible. However, reading the Bible as literature alone only helps us to learn ABOUT Jesus. To truly KNOW Him requires a personal, spiritual relationship with Him. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Knowing God’s Will

Knowing God’s Will – Insight from George Müller
When it came to knowing God’s will, George Müller (1805-1898), an English evangelist and philanthropist, was remarkably and humbly gifted. A man of faith and prayer, Müller established orphanages in Bristol and founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad. The following are wonderful excerpts from one of his essays.

Knowing God’s Will – How to Ascertain the Will of God
Knowing God’s will is the key to prayer, spiritual growth and fruitfulness in our individual lives. Here’s how George Müller set out to ascertain the will of God on a daily basis:

• I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are over come when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
• Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
• I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
• Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
• I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
• Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.

Christian Persecution

Christian Persecution: Dramatic Evidence Supporting the Early Church
Christian persecution started with Jesus himself. He was asked directly at trial, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus left no room for ambiguity – His first two words were “I am.” The religious elite in Jerusalem knew what Jesus was saying – It was very clear to them that He was claiming to be God. As such, Jesus was put to death on a Roman cross for the crime of blasphemy, thus becoming the first martyr for what would become the Christian Church.

Christian Persecution: Many of the Early Disciples Died for their Faith
Christian persecution was a dramatic part of early church history. For anyone who holds that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was a man-made hoax conspired by a group of disciples should check out the legacy of martyrdom. Eleven of the 12 apostles, and many of the other early disciples, died for their adherence to this story. This is dramatic, since they all witnessed the alleged events of Jesus and still went to their deaths defending their faith. Why is this dramatic, when many throughout history have died martyred deaths for a religious belief? Because people don’t die for a lie. Look at human nature throughout history. No conspiracy can be maintained when life or liberty is at stake. Dying for a belief is one thing, but numerous eye-witnesses dying for a known lie is quite another.

Christian Persecution: A list of Early Martyrs Who Were Witnesses to the Life of Jesus
Here is an account of early Christian persecution, as compiled from numerous sources outside the Bible, the most-famous of which is Foxes’ Christian Martyrs of the World:

Christian Ministry

Christian Ministry – The Great Commandment & The Great Commission
Christian Ministry can be summed up in the following statement: Glorify God and serve man by fulfilling the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). The Great Commandment is as follows: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The Great Commission reads: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Christian Ministry – Service Through Love
Christian Ministry is service to God and man as an obedient Christian. A Christian servant ministers to God and man in acts of love. Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:11).

Christian Ministry – A Personal Testimony
My Christian Ministry began with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the first person I ever truly loved. I didn’t know what true love was until the day I realized Jesus loved me first. He is the first person to ever truly love me with “pure love”. Now, discovering more and more about love as I get to know Him, I try my best to imitate Him, trying to love Him and all that is in His image.

I always thought that love was an emotion or an impulse. Now I understand that it’s a decision. It is to decide to be selfless in any situation. Love is Joy. It is happiness that is not affected by circumstance. Love is Peace. It is the utter lack of contention within a relationship. Love is Patient. It is contentment while waiting. Love is Gentle. It never intends harm. Love is Good. Its intentions are morally perfect. Love is Faith. It trusts no matter what the appearance of a situation. Love is Meek. It surrenders and serves. Love is Temperate. It does not have a selfish appetite. I Love by seeking to be Joyful, Peaceful, Patient, Gentle, Good, Faithful, Meek, and Temperate in every interaction in every situation (Galatians 5:16-26).