I guess the challenge comes to most people at some point. Some people rise to the challenge, some people try the challenge and give up because it's too much hard work,other people look at the challenge, maybe even think about taking the challenge but then fail to engage in the challenge. What am I talking about you ask? Losing weight of course!

This was a challenge put to me by my wife over the summer, could I lose some weight? If I'm honest it's something I knew I needed to do. I've tried before but had failed miserably.
However, this time I just felt I had to give it a real go.

With the help of a certain Internet search engine I found some tasty low calorie family meals. I took up the mantle of cooking the evening meal. Alongside this I returned to the gym, cut out a number of basics like bread, rice and pasta and started to try and eat a different kind of diet. As part of this and my dietary research I felt I needed to add some fish and a higher amount of protein. So a few weeks ago I embarked on a breakfast of smoked salmon and poached eggs.

As far as I was aware we didn't have a utensil to cook a poached egg and so, after boiling some water (don't worry this isn't a cookery lesson, I'm coming to a point!) I cracked two eggs straight
into the water, and after a few minutes served up two wonderful poached eggs.

This thought then struck me: Once I had cracked the eggs into the pan I had no control over how the eggs would turn out until it was time to lift the eggs from the pan, but I'd HAD to crack the egg shell to release the egg that was inside. This is just like the gospel, we have to tell it and proclaim it to release it, but once we have shared it we
have no control over how it is received - we just have the responsibility to share it.

​If you mention the words 'gospel proclamation', for many people, the picture comes of a stage and an evangelist preaching to a reasonably sized crowd. However, gospel proclamation is not just about big crowds, the gospel can be, and needs to be, proclaimed to the individuals we come across in our daily lives.

​The bible tells us, 'preach the word, be ready in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine' (2 Tim 4:2)

The apostle Paul asks the question "How then shall they call on him whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Rom 10:14)

Now I can hear you cry 'but I'm not a preacher' - that's ok, not everybody is, however we have to get what I believe is a biblical foundational truth in our minds.

In simple terms it's this: You can't preach the gospel with your mouth shut!

That is to say, for the gospel to be heard and understood it has to be verbalised. This does not necessarily mean we will all be called to preach to big crowds, or that we become 'bible thumping Christians', but it does mean we have a responsibility to share the gospel sensitively, intentionally and verbally with those individuals God brings across our path.

In verse 15 of Romans 10, Paul asks another question: 'How shall they preach, except they are sent’ – the truth is we have all been sent. We are all given the task to share with others how Jesus has changed our lives. What a wonderful call we have – to proclaim life, truth and hope to the people we know!

Jesus sometimes spoke to big crowds, but on many occasions he spoke just with individuals. As an evangelist I've had the privilege of speaking to large crowds and seeing people respond to Jesus - but speaking to individuals is just as important. Each situation needs boldness, prayer, and help from the Holy Spirit.

Paul wasn’t talking to Timothy about ‘The seasons’ – you can preach the word during the winter and spring seasons, but that will probably wear you out and tire you out, so you can take the summer and autumn off! He was saying 'In season, out of season, it doesn't matter - I’m charging you to preach the word whenever you get chance! We always have to be ready ' in season, out of season' because we don't know when an opportunity will arise.

I believe the primary purpose of the church is to reach the lost with the gospel - to preach the word, wherever we can, to whoever we can, whichever way we can!
When it comes to evangelism and proclaiming the Gospel, either to one, one hundred, or one thousand, we will each fall into one of the categories I mentioned above:

1) We've tried the challenge - but given up because we've not seen the results we wanted and felt it's too much hard work

2) We've not engaged with the challenge - We've thought about sharing our faith, but just have never done it

3) We've risen to the Challenge - We actively engage in looking for ways to share our faith
If you are number three - be encouraged and keep going!

If you fall into the first two brackets - let me just encourage you. Sharing our faith was never meant to be a chore, but something that can bring glory to God as we step out in faith and tell others about Him. For certain, evangelism doesn't come without its challenges but with God's help, through the power of the Holy Spirit we can overcome those challenges, step out in boldness and share the gospel. If you've been struggling to tell others about Jesus, then just ask the Lord today to help and equip you to share the good news of the Gospel with others!

To get my poached egg the other week I had to literally crack the egg for it to be released from its shell so I could benefit from eating it. We have to literally speak out the Gospel for it to do its work. The gospel has to be spoken for it to be heard and acted upon. So, if one or two above applies to you, can I just encourage you to 'crack an egg' today and look for an opportunity to share Jesus with somebody?

Oh, and how's the weight loss going? It's going fine; it's working, just like the gospel does - so let's keep cracking those eggs!

So this morning the world woke up to the news that, against seemingly massive odds, Donald Trump had won the American election and now stands as the President-Elect. This result comes after a long, hard, bitter and certainly divisive campaign to win occupancy of the White House.

Just a few months ago the UK went through a similar process with the European Union referendum. Again, the vote to leave was, in a lot of people's eye's an unexpected result. As today, the result was met with mixed emotions, there were those that were elated with the decision and those that declared their horror, uncertainty and fear as to what the result would mean.

On the morning of the referendum as I watched the result being given and commentary started to flow from media outlets and on social media there was one verse that came to mind "Some trust in Chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." (Ps 20:7) My feeling was, as it is today with the election result, that this verse challenges us to re-assess where our hope and trust lie. Is it in the systems of this world? Or is it in God Almighty? Do we trust and look to the world systems to fulfil our hopes and dreams or to our Heavenly Father who the bible declares even knows the number of hairs on our head?

Even today I have read articles and comments of people who have openly shared the fear they feel for the future due to today's result. There seems to be a shaking going on. There seems to be major changes happening that will indeed have impact, not only in the individual nations where these changes were conceived, but across the whole world.

The bible talks about a time before Jesus' return when men's hearts will 'fail them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken" (Luke 21:26) Indeed there seems to be a shaking going on.

So how should we as Christians respond?

Well, firstly we need to recognise that as believers in Jesus Christ, our hope should be in Him. The bible tells us, that as Christians we belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken: “And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” Hebrews 12:27-28 Our trust should not lie in the kingdoms of this world but in God Himself. Only in Him can we find the hope, peace and security our hearts long for.

Secondly, we need to remember that the bible tells us that it is God who puts people into positions of authority and leadership (Rom 13:1)

Our job? To pray for them - "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men. For kings, and all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty. (1 Tim 2 : 1-3)

Yes, there is a shaking going on but we do not put our trust in chariots, horses, political systems or establishments, we do not have to fear, feel insecure, or uncertain because if we belong to Christ, we belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Change always brings new opportunity, could it be with the shaking that is going on that God is giving us a new opportunity to tell others about this unshakable kingdom and of His great love for them?