Front Covers

This week a muslim outreach group has boldly put a 'full sleeve' ad on our local paper (and others across the region/country I guess) which gives them a big front page splash inviting people to ring or visit a website for information and a free Koran copy etc. The main grab of the ad is 'find out about the real prophet Muhammed'.

The first point to make is of course they have every right to do this - religious freedoms have been fought for long and hard over the centuries, with the first English baptists petitioning the king not just for themselves but also for Jewish and Muslims in early 1600s England (they were way ahead of their time!).

Secondly, Christians use similar strategies. Websites like www.rejesus.co.uk have been effective in helping people discover Jesus, along with radio and TV stations, posters, tracts, and adverts across the decades. All these things have their place.

Yet the best front cover will be the shared life of an existing disciple. When people see us do they see the real Jesus, and in our interactions with people do we help them find out about the real Jesus?

All the major stats indicate that people come to faith through the significant influence of one or more Christians in their life. It was the way Jesus did it, it was the way Peter and Paul did it!

Let us ensure our lives our 'full sleeve ads' for the real Jesus, bold font proclaiming the good news that those who 'read us' can discover him too.