4 REASON'S WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD KEEP OUT OF WORLDLY PURSUITS!

Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash

As fully devoted followers of Christ we need to give careful attention to what things we pursue in life! Why? Because they can either help us grow in our devotion to Christ or hinder us. A Godly goal is a good thing but a worldly pursuit is not.

In this post I want to share with you 4 reasons why God’s people should at all cost avoid pursuing worldly goals and in particular keep themselves from getting entangled in the love of money. The Love of Money, by the way, according to the Bible is one particular way Christian quite often get caught up in the things of the world.

To accomplish I will be sharing 3 Pitfalls that come with choosing worldly goals and what happens to those who stumble into those pitfalls. These pitfall’s are found in 1 Timothy 6:9-10:

“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires. , which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” ((CSB)

These pitfalls are:

PITFALL #1:

It Makes You susceptible To Temptation: When our heart longs for the things of this world we become more vulnerable to the wiles and schemes of the devil. Temptations in and of themselves are not sins but they are the doorway that leads a person to sin. The primary reason a person commits a sin is because they have some kind of worldly desire they are trying to satisfy. And that unmet satisfaction cause people to look for its fulfillment in ways that God says is sinful. Therefore, the cure is not to continually fight off the temptation but to root out the evil and sinful desires and replace them with God honoring desires. So, if your sincere desire is to live a life that pleases God then you need to make sure that your hearts desires are on the things of Heaven and off the things of this world.

PITFALL #2:

It’s a trap that will ensnare you. Traps have been used throughout the ages by hunters who are want to catch unsuspecting animals. They are usually camouflage so the animal will not see it and step into it. And this is the way it is with the goals of this world and especially the love of money. The true intent of these longings are hidden and dressed up to look like things that are good. After all, what could be wrong with being rich if it allows me to give more money to help the poor? What’s wrong with having a nicer and bigger home for my family to live in? Shouldn’t they be able to live in a nice place? You see the issue isn’t what you can do with the money but what you are willing to do to get the money or your true motivation for getting the money.

PITFALL #3:

It Ignites Feelings That You Shouldn’t Have: The problem with the love of money or the desire to have the things of the world is that it doesn’t stay satisfied with the fulfillment of those desires. As a result of pursing them newer and more harmful desires start to grow. There are some feelings that we were never intended to have or experience. The “Love of Money” is described as a “root”. If temptation is the seed then the love of money (materialism) is the root that is form from that seed and it in turns grows into a blooming plant of all kinds of other evil and more harmful desires. If you think that you can control your love for money and keep it contained then you are only fooling yourself. The only way to keep yourself from growth of all kinds of evil in your life is to uproot the love of the world and replace it with a root that exclusively loves God.

Now let me share a little bit about what the end result will be if you fall into one or all of these pitfalls and fail to uproot and guard agains the love of this world and the pursuit of worldly goals. Quite simple it is exactly what the Bible says,

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10 (CSB)

2 End Results:

#1: Wandering From The Faith:

In Luke chapter 8 Jesus tells a parable about a person who went sowing seed on different types of ground and then He explains the spiritual significance for each group. Here’s how Jesus describes the seed that feel on the ground filled with thorns and thistles.

“As for the seed that fell among the thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life and produce no mature fruit.” Luke 8:14 (CSB)

This is quite a visible picture, from Jesus, on what happens to people who have their hearts set on the things of this world and not on Christ. The riches and pleasures of life of life choke out or we could also, are more valuable to people than Christ is, and as a result they walk away. Another way of saying it is that people who hear the Gospel of Christ and are excited with the forgiveness of sins that come from following Christ but once they hear that they need to leave everything (including their riches) in order to follow Christ, they walk away sad because they love their money more than they do Jesus.

#2: They Stab Themselves With Lots of Grief:

Notice that verse 10 uses the word pierce and not prick. Why? Because the word pierce suggest a knife or sword stabbing. It is a life threatening wound. It’s not a little poke that might draw some blood but a wound that in most cases lead to death.

Also, notice that this is a self-inflicted wound. This is something you caused yourself and not something someone did to you. You’re the one who sets you life goal, you are the one who decides who your heart will be devoted to. To choose the world over Christ is your chose and the result is a harm that you brought on yourself. It is avoidable if you choose wisely but it is also unavoidable if you don’t choose wisely.

So many people suffer horribly simply because they have chosen to go after the things of this world, to give their heart over to what this world says is important. The pain is real but the pain was and is avoidable.

By simply choosing to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength you will avoid all three of these pitfalls and the consequences that follow. So who will you give your heart to? Will it be God through Jesus Christ or will it be the world.

DON'T CHOOSE DOOR #1: A Biblical Life Goal To Pursue: Part 1

When I was a child growing up one of our families favorite T.V. programs was the game show, LET’S MAKE A DEAL. I always enjoyed watching it because of the thrill of watch people possibly winning something really amazing. You know what I mean. Right? The thrill of the win or the agony of the loss. I would always imagine myself as the big winner.

But wouldn’t it have been nice if you had some special knowledge in advance of what was behind Door #1, or Door #2 or even Door #3? If you did have that knowledge do you think it would have influenced what choice you would have made?

Of course it would!

In this post we are starting a series that deals with options, consequences and admonitions about the kind of life goal you should establish that will guide your pursuit in life. Whether we know it or not we all have goals that guide how we live life and the kind of choices we make as we go through life. Our expectations is that these goals will help bring joy, fulfillment, excitement and happiness during our travels here in this world.

However, establishing bad goals can hinder the experience of that joy, excitement, fulfillment and happiness that we so desperately want in our lives. Making wise choices about our goal is going to be absolutely essential.

However, gratefully God, in the Bible, has told us what our options are when it comes to establishing a goal for life and even better news is that there aren’t 10 to 15 different choices! In actuality there are only 2 choices. One choice is good and the other choice is not good at all. So, in reality for those of us who are fully devoted followers of Christ there is only one life goal that is to be our choice.

Our series of posts will be taken from 1 Timothy 6:3-10 and today’s post is entitled:

DON’T CHOOSE DOOR #1.

Remember there are only two choices but this first choice is not the right choice. This first choice is the choice to avoid at all cost. It is the choice that will rob you instead of give you. It’s the one that will harm you instead of benefitting you. So, what’s that option? It’s the option that this world offers to you.

So, what exactly is in door #1? What is it that we should not make our life’s goal? To help us find out let us take a look at 1 Timothy 3: 3-5 and most specifically verse 5. It says:

“If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with with the teaching that promotes godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth., who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.” (CSB)

What is the life goal to avoid?

The Pursuit Of Material Gain!

The pursuit of material gain as a life’s goal is one of the false teachings that was and still is part of the church and especially trying to use godly living as a means to getting rich. In verse 10 the Apostle Paul refers to people who make the amassing of material wealth their life goal as people who “Love Money”. Take a look at what it says,

“For the love of money is a root to all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10 (CSB)

The reason why the pursuit of worldly riches or the love of money is a life goal to avoid is simply because it’s a heart issue. It’s a matter of what you “LOVE” the most.

In Luke 16:13-15 Jesus is teaching the people that it is impossible to serve two masters. You will either love the one and hate the other or visa versa. And then Jesus coined a quote that we still use today. It is:

“You cannot serve both God and money” Jesus Christ

Jesus said you cannot serve both God and money! He didn’t say:

• “You can’t serve fully both God and money.”

• or “It’s hard to serve both God and money”.

• No! Jesus flat out stated emphatically stated that it is:

IMPOSSIBLE

Why? Because the issue at play is all about the heart or it is all about what you love. God refuses to compete or share with anyone or anything concerning the love that is due Him as God Almighty.

Let me hammer the point in by asking you a question: What is the greatest commandment? That was a question Jesus asked some of the religious leaders of his day. It’s a good question that we should ask ourselves from time to time and the answer is something we should remind ourselves daily. What is it? According to the Bible it is:

“To Love The Lord Your God With All Your Heart, Mind, Soul And Strength”

The truth of the matter is that God wants our full and complete love! And God is unwilling to share it with anyone or anything. And one of the biggest competitors to robbing God of the love that is due Him is the love for money. Money is enticing and money is deceiving, People try to justify their love for money to make it sound acceptable or at least understandable.

But according to the Bible the love of money or the amassing of material gain is absolutely not the life goal for anyone who calls themselves a Follower of Christ.

Door #1 Is Not The Door To Choose!

A FIRM FOUNDATION FOR YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE: Part 3: Biblical Principle #2

A Firm Foundation Is Essential For Weathering Life’s Storms!

“Therefore everyone who hear these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ‘And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ‘Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ‘The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell and great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24-27 (NAS)

Isn’t it interesting to note that both men had built a house and both men built their house on top of something. One was a rock and the other was sand. As it is true in building a house so it is also true in building your life - it will be built upon something. There is some kind of foundation upon which your life will be built upon. But the choice of what foundation you use to build your life is of the utmost importance. Why?

Because The Foundation Is The Key To Your Ability To Weather The Storms That Life Throws At Us!

When it come to survival or destruction of your life the foundation upon which you build your life is the one and only determining factor. And because it is the one and only factor it becomes an essential factor. A person can’t go cheap on laying that firm foundation. A person cain’t afford to use inferior material in laying a foundation. And absolutely a person can’t even consider not laying a foundation.

THE FOUNDATION IS ESSENTIAL!

As we already discussed in the previous post storms of life are going to happen. It’s not a matter of “if” they happen but just a matter of “when” they’ll happen. We have no control over whether or not trails, tribulations or persecution happen in our life. The truth of scripture is clear - they will happen. In addition, we also have no control over the intensity of the storms when they do arrive. It could be a mild storm or it could be a potentially devastating storm. We have no control over it. So in light of these truths the only sensible and prudent thing to do is to make sure you lay a firm foundation upon which to build your life.

It would be easy if there was only one option available to us for the foundation we use from which to build our life. But that’s not the case! In this story Jesus makes it clear you do have options. You can chose to use the options the world avails you (that’s the sand) or you can use the option that Jesus recommends (that’s the rock). The choice is yours but you need to choose wisely! Why?

Because The Foundation Is Essential!

Because the foundation is so essential you need to make sure you spare no expense, cut no corners and don’t be lazy in your efforts to the laying of that firm, solid and massive rock like foundation.

So as you begin to lay the foundation for you life be careful, give it your full attention and we wise. The foundation you choose will be the determining factor of whether your life is destroyed or stays strong after you go through the intense storms of life.

If you have not already read the first two blogs in this series you can hit the links below to check them out.

PART 1

PART 2

SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE Part 5: Knowing Your Enemy

In the last post of this series SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE I wrote about Knowing Who’s Not Your Enemy. The reason for that post is because to often we think that people are our enemy and the cause for such terrible difficulties that we experience during spiritual warfare. But people are not our enemy. As we found out that those same people we used to believe were our enemy were in fact the ones we came to liberate. All people before they come to faith in Christ, according to the Bible, are lost, slaves to sin and blinded by Satan. And they are the reason why we are still in this world. Every time we share the Gospel with these people they have an opportunity to experience freedom in Christ. THEY’RE NOT OUR ENEMY - THEY ARE THE ONES WE’VE COME TO RESCUE!

However, we do have a very real and dangerous enemy and we should not take the threat lightly. We need to know of him and about him. The one we know about our enemy the better we can anticipate his what to expect from him, specially during spiritual warfare. Take a look at who the Bible describes is our enemy.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

According to William Barclay, the great New Testament theologian, this verse indicates that the Apostle Paul view our enemy as a very sophisticated and organized system of evil that Satan has constructed to rule this world. There are rulers, there are authorities, there are powers of darkness and there are spiritual forces from the heavenly realms. In verse 11 we read that our enemy is the devil who likes to scheme against us. In verse 16 we read that our enemy is the evil one who is shooting flaming arrows at us.

So who is our enemy? It is none other than Satan and his demonic forces that rule this world on a temporary basis. Satan and his forces are powerful and organized and they certainly do not like those who follow and obey Christ.

The Apostle Peter also identifies Satan as our enemy,

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

In this verse Peter emphasis that we should view Satan as a real and dangerous threat by admonishing us to stay alert and sober minded. And why? Because our enemy is always looking for an opportunity to catch us with our guard down so he may attack.

Peter describes the devil as that of a roaring lion seeking to devour his prey. There are two things I want you to mediate on about the devil.

• First, Satan is a powerful foe. The reason why we call lions the king of the jungle! And that’s because they are strong and able to over power most other animals. They are very high up on the food chain and don’t really cower from their opponents. Satan is the same! He is powerful and if not taken seriously can quick overpower us.

• Second, Satan is a predator. Lions prey on others animals. They don’t grow crops or produce their own food. They feed off of less powerful animals. Satan too is like a predator just waiting to ponce on an unsuspecting person and destroy them. Satan

Satan is not our friend. He is our enemy and he hates us. He does not have our best interest at heart. He will lie, cheat, and steal all to get you in a position where he can ponce on you.

Does the thought of Satan being your enemy cause you to worry at some level? Do you know of other brothers or sisters in Christ who seem to struggle with worry? Then check out this great new book on how you can join Christ on His mission without worry. Hit the link below to get more information:

CLICK HERE

BUILDING A STRONG LIFE FOR MISSIONAL LIVING: Laying A Foundation Of Obedience

Photo by Val Toch on Unsplash

Anything building you construct is only as strong as the foundation that you lay. This also true in constructing a strong life for missional living. The foundation isn’t just a good idea but an essential element. You can’t have a strong life without a strong foundation.

Jesus at the end of His Sermon On The Mount talks about the kind of foundation that can weather the powerful and destructive storms that life will throw at God’s people as they are joining Christ on His mission. He uses a story to illustrate the kind of foundation that Christians need.

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mind and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. The rains fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27

6 Lessons To Learn From This Story

1. Everyone Goes Through Storms In Life. Going through storms in life is a matter of “If” but just a matter of “When”. Everyone goes through difficult times that can rock a person to the very core of who they are. The storms might be financial, physical, and if you are intentionally trying to live a life on mission with Christ some of those storms can be in the form of persecutions for you faith and obedience to Christ. YOU WILL HAVE STORMS!

2. The key to weathering the storms and not collapsing is the foundation your life is built upon. Every person needs to really think through what kind of foundation they are building their life upon. Is it built on a solid rock that would give way or is it build upon the sand that has absolutely no stability at all. The determining factor on whether you life will stand or come crashing down during the storms of life is dependent upon the foundation you have built your life upon.

3. According to Jesus ALL PEOPLE fall into one of two categories. When you break life down to its lowest common denominator all people are either wise who make really good decisions or fools who haven’t given proper consideration to the choices they make. There’s no grey area. It’s either one or the other.

4. Both the wise person and the foolish person have one thing in common. They both have just heard Jesus speak the words of the Sermon On The Mount. They both heard what Jesus had to say about how to live life in a Godly way. They both understood what He meant.

5. There’s one distinguishing difference between the two (wise and fool). While both of the them heard what Jesus had taught, it was only the wise person who also obeys. The fool hears but disobeys. Obedience to Christ and His teachings is the solid rock foundation that allows a person to weather the storms of life. Disobedience is the sandy foundation that cannot hold a life together during those same storms.

OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST IS THE FIRM FOUNDATION YOU MUST BUILD YOUR LIFE UPON!

3 Applications To Laying A Foundation Of Obedience To Christ:

1. Daily hear the teaching and commands of Christ.

   “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth ….” Joshua 1:8a

2. Meditate on those teaching and apply them to your life.

   “… but you shall meditate on them day and night ….” Joshua 1:8b

3. Be doers of the word.

   “ … so that you will be careful to do all that is written with in it. For then will you make your ways prosperous and then will you have good success.” Joshua 1:8c

So now that you have read this blog post what are you going to do about it? What is God saying to you? How are you going to obey Christ today and thereby build that strong foundation of obedience to Christ?

Please share you answer as a comment and thereby encourage the rest of us.

A Biblical Prescription For Worry!

Randy McWhorter is the former Director of the Healthy Church Group of the California Southern Baptist Convention and now the Lead Pastor of a powerful church in Northern California.

My very good friend, Randy McWhorter, in his endorsement for my book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY shared that there is a cure for an anxious heart that will bring you peace, power and make you prosperous in all things regarding God’s will. Read the whole endorsement for yourself,

**“Living On Mission In Spite Of My Worry: Biblical Advice On Relieving An Anxious Heart is akin to a Christian prescription for hypertension of the believer’s heart. My friend, Jay Moore, has shared six Biblical principles that have the potential to revolutionize your concept of what it means to live worry free. You will find each principle to be a practical expression of God’s will for everyone who desires to glorify Him in all he or she does. Together, these six principles guide our understanding of what it truly means to follow Jesus in spite of our human frailties. There is a cure for the anxious heart that will bring peace, power and that will make you prosperous in all things regarding God’s will. There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole! The only question is... will you take the medicine? Will you follow the prescription? Or, will you remain weakened by worry and spiritually anemic? Take the prescription! Why spend another day allowing unnecessary worry to keep you from living a life on mission for the Lord? Take the prescription!” Randy McWhorter**

Now that’s a powerful statement that Randy made but a very true and accurate one. There is good news for all of God’s people who suffer from an anxious heart, a life filled with worry or struggling with the stress that the world loves to throw at each of us. That good news is that you can live a worry free life on a day by day and moment by moment basis.

It is not God’s desire and certainly not His will for His people to live a life plagued with worry. As a matter of fact Jesus himself told us to stop worrying. When we worry we are communicating that God isn’t enough for us and that we really don’t believe that He can meet all our needs or that He knows what is best. When we worry we demonstrate a lack of faith in the Lord Jesus.

But the good news is that you can live that worry free life, it is available to all who are willing to learn and trust God. That’s what this book is all about!

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY will teach you the Biblical principles and Biblical practices that will guide into a lifestyle that doesn’t worry but just trusts God. This book contains the prescriptions for the cure of worry that Randy was talking about. It shows you what the Balam of Gilead looks like and how to get it.

Click the links below to find out more about this powerful book yourself.

Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Mission-Spite-Worry-Relieving/dp/1791627064/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550075555&sr=8-1&keywords=living+on+mission+in+spite+of+my+worry

Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Mission-Spite-Worry-Relieving-ebook/dp/B07LDGWYC8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550075555&sr=8-2&keywords=living+on+mission+in+spite+of+my+worry

When Life Throws You A Curveball

Today, as we look at joining Christ on His mission we are going to look at the idea of being thrown curveballs and how to handle them. But what exactly is a curveball?

 Definition

A curveball is a breaking pitch that has more movement than just about any other pitch. It is thrown slower than a fastball and curves downward before reaching home plate. It is used to keep hitters off-balance. When executed correctly by a pitcher, a batter expecting a fastball will swing too early and over the top of the curveball.

 The curveball pitch is so well known in American culture that the phrase "throw a curveball" has emerged as a common expression. Like the goal of pitchers when throwing the pitch, the expression "to throw a curve" means to trick someone with something unexpected.

 Again, the goal is to keep a person off balance with the hope of them making a mistake.  Satan loves to use life experiences as curveballs with the intent to keep God’s people off balance and to slow them down in joining Christ on His mission.  But we need to remember that while these curveballs are unexpected to us they are not unexpected to God.  Not only are they not unexpected to God, they are planned and used by God for His purposes. 

When it comes to living a life that is pleasing, honoring to God and on mission with Christ, life has a funny way of throwing us some crazy curveballs. The adventure of following Christ wherever he leads is filled with lots and lots of unexpected turns that the need to be prepared is for them is evident.

 Biblical Examples Of Unexpected Curveballs Thrown At God’s People

·      Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego certainly didn’t expect to be thrown into a firey furnance.

·      Joseph didn’t see coming that his brothers would sell him as a slave.

·      It wasn’t on Moses’ radar that his own countryman would threaten to turn him in for killing an Egyptian after the Egyptian had abused a Hebrew slave and then would spend the next 40 years tending sheep.

·      Peter had no idea how idea how extreme the pressure to deny Christ would be on the night he denied Him three times.

·      And the Apostle Paul had absolutely no idea that his passion and desire to go preach the Gospel to those in Asia would be stopped in its tracts by the Holy Spirit and then redirected to go into Macedonia. 

So, how do you prepare for them and respond to these curveballs when they materialize?

 Read what James 4:13-15 says,

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.’ ‘Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring - what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, ‘If the Lord wills we will live and do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.”

In This Passage James:

·      Is reprimanding Christians who have a faulty worldview about life and how they relate to God. 

·      Lists 5 characteristics of people with this faulty worldview:

1. They make their own plans about tomorrow: “Today or tomorrow we will go …”

2. They plan on arriving at a particular destination: “… we will go to such and such a city …”

3. They plan to spend a specific amount of time there: “… and spend a year there …”

4. They intend to engage in a specific plan of action: “… and engage in business …”

5. They intend to experience some specific results: “… and make a profit.”

 So What’s The Problem?  Is It Wrong To Make Plans For The Future?

 No, that’s not what James is saying exactly! In verse 15 he is going to say it is appropriate to plan and act upon that plan.  So, what’s the problem then?

 The problem is when plans are made without a proper understanding of who we are and a proper understanding of who God is. 

Who Are People?

a.     People are limited in knowing what will happen tomorrow!

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring …” (v. 14a)

b.     People don’t even know if they will be here tomorrow! 

“… what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.” (v. 14b)

Who Is God?

He is the God who wills things to happen!

“Instead, you should say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that …”

In other words, God has the authority to change our plans to match His will.

“Men make their plans but God directs their paths.” 

Proverbs 16:9

Let’s Look Again At

The Apostle Paul Wanting To Enter Into Asia

To Preach The Gospel

“They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Passing by Mysia they went down to Troas. During the Night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!’ After he ad seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Acts 16:6-10

 From these verses we need to ask two very important questions!

2 Two Questions: 

1.     What was preventing them from sharing the Gospel in Asia and Bithynia? 

On both occasions the scripture made it clear that is was the The Holy Spirit preventing them from entering those locations. Even though Paul’s intent was good and God honoring it wasn’t God’s timing for the Gospel to enter into Asia.

2.     What was it that caused them to enter into Macedonia to preach the Gospel? 

Again the answer is God. While it wasn’t God’s timing for the Gospel to go into Asia it was God’s will for the Gospel to come into Macedonia.

Paul had made his plan but it was God directing his steps.

This is a perfect example of God’s people making their plans but allowing God to direct their paths.

The Danger Of Making Plans Without This View Of God! 

1.     It allows for boasting in arrogance!

“But as it is, you boast in your arrogance …” James 4:16a

Boasting in the right thing is not bad and that would be boasting in Christ and His work. But to boast in your arrogance is to boast in yourself and in what you believe you have achieved. But the truth of the matter is that whatever we have achieved is only done by God through us. So to boast in yourself is to think more highly of yourself than you should, for we can do nothing in our own self but only through Christ who strengthens us.

2.     This kind of boasting is evil

“… All such boasting is evil.” James 4:16b)

To use a phrase that one of my fine Christian college professor used to use: “It Would Behoove Us” to learn that all self promotion and boasting is evil and filled with pride. As God’s children we are called to humility - not pridefulness.

3.     This kind of planning is sinful

“So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.” James 4:17

If we know that we should conducting our planning with God’s will first and foremost in our minds and hearts but do not do it, the Bible is real clear - it is a sin.

If we are implementing our plans but unwilling to alter that course when God is trying to redirect us - it too is a sin!

How Do To Respond To The Curveballs Of Life?

1.     Prepare For Life To Throw You Curveballs

 We prepare for life’s curveballs by make plans based upon what we think to be God’s will.  We do this through prayer as we seek God for his will to be revealed.

2.     Anticipate & Relax When Unexpected Changes Take Place

 Don’t get frustrated about it or worry over it just expect it to be part of the process of God, as our Good Shepherd, leading us from green pastures to green pastures.

3.     Look For God’s Open Doors

 Just as the Apostle Paul wanted to go into Asia to preach  the Gospel but was prevented by the Holy Spirit but then at night in a vision sees a man from Macedonia asking them to come over there, concludes that God was redirecting them to go over there, so we too can expect God when he closes one door to open up another door. But we have to be looking for it in order to see it.

Does The Thought Of Life Throwing You These Curveballs Cause You To Worry? If, so then hit the link below to find out more about a great resource for learning how to live a life without worry while joining Christ on His Mission!

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Mission-Spite-Worry-Relieving-ebook/dp/B07LDGWYC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549133088&sr=8-1&keywords=living+on+mission+in+spite+of+my+worry

Powerful Missional Living Is All About Learning To Be A Powerful Influencer!

Photo by Elijah Macleod on Unsplash

Do you have the influence skills necessary for living a powerful missional life? Watch this video to find out!

People of influence have learned how to manage the emotion of worry! They don’t worry. As a Follower of Christ there is absolutely no reason to allow worry to part of your life, especially as you live a life on mission with Christ.

Check out this great book called, LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY. This book will give you the Biblical principles and practices you need to rid your life of worry. CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT!

Jeff & Angie Sundell Shares About Becoming A Powerful Disciple Maker

Steve Addison interviews Jeff & Angie Sundell about helping others become powerful disciple makers. This couple are seasoned trainers and have a lot of wisdom and insight about equipping Christians to join Christ on His mission.

Does The Thought Of Joining Christ On His Mission Create Worry In Your Heart? If So, Then Check Out This Powerful Resource To Help Remove Your Worry & Replace It With God’s Peace!

CLICK HERE!

Thanks Steven Addison for allowing The Ordinary Christian to use this video! Check out Steve Addison and his ministry at: https://www.movements.net

1 Absolutely Essential Activity For Worry Free Living

Spend Time With Jesus & Watch The Worry Melt Away!

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

In this Bible story we see a pretty clear picture of most of us when it comes to worry through Martha’s experience. So often, we are so busy doing this thing and doing that thing, that we become overwhelmed and possible overextended.

Martha was busy and distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. I think it’s interesting that the story clearly says that she was distracted! But, distracted from what? What were all of her busy preparations keeping her from that she should have been doing? Once we can answer that question, we also reveal the 1 absolutely essential activity for a worry free life!

The story also reveals that Martha was worried and upset about many things! If the truth of the matter is made clear most people don’t worry about just one or two things. Worry for most people, including Christians, have become a lifestyle. Throughout life we have learned to worry about most things. We’ve watched our parents worry over this or that; we’ve seen our friends grip by worry; and the uncertainty of life has taught us that worry is the proper emotion to have. Through a worldly perspective it appears that most of life is filled with things to worry about.

But not only did the story tell us that she worried about also upset about many things. Being upset and worrying actually go together! When we are worried about something, its because that something is out of our control. We can’t beat it into submission. And when we can’t control something and worry begins to grip our hearts and mind, then we become angry at situations and in this people, Martha’s sister, Mary. Martha was upset with her sister because Mary wasn’t doing what Martha thought she should be doing. What was that? Helping her with the preparations.

So what is the one absolutely essential activity for experiencing a life without worry? It was what Mary was doing! Read again what Jesus says,

“… but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus starts off telling Martha that she’s a worry wart and that her sister helping her isn’t the solution to her worry. Not only was Mary not the solution to Martha’s worry but she actually was doing and being the example on how to get rid of that worry!

What was Mary doing? According to the story Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to everything Jesus was saying. Mary was spending time with Jesus; she was learning from Jesus; she was soaking in all that Christ had to offer and as a result Mary would be filled with peace and contentment and not worry or anxiety. So, what is that one essential activity to get rid of worry?

Spending Regular & Quality Time With Jesus!

When you do then all your worries will begin to melt away!

Here’s the lyrics to a great chorus that shares this message wonderfully:

“One thing is needful O my Father
One thing is needful O my God
That I sit at Your feet
And pour out my love
This thing is needful O my Lord
(REPEAT)

Verse 2
I sit and worship You my Father
I sit and worship You my God
Lord I sit at Your feet
And pour out my love
I sit and worship You my King
(REPEAT)

Verse 3
I lift my hands to You my Father
I lift my hands to You my God
Lord I sit at Your feet
And pour out my love
I lift my hands to You my Lord”

For more information on how to live a powerful worry free life, check out this powerful book that was ranked as an Amazon #2 Best Seller in the categories of Missions/Missionary Work and Pastoral Counseling/Recovery. It is called LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY: Biblical Advice On Relieving An Anxious Heart.

In it you will learn about

• 6 Biblical principles

• and 5 Biblical practices that will lead you into a life without worry.

CLICK HERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION

4 Tactics Satan Uses To Stop A Missional Movement

Photo by Annette Batista Day on Unsplash

As it pertains to living life on mission with Christ and working to see Disciple Making/Church Planting Movements ignite here are 4 tactics that Satan will use to stop our efforts in their tracks. This is taking a look at Spiritual Warfare from the lens of being on mission with Jesus.

I. Satan Blinds The Minds Of The Unbeliever So The Can’t See The Truth Of The Gospel.

“And even if the Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Cor. 4:3-4 (NIV)

The Christian’s response to this satanic spiritual warfare tactic s to pray for God the Father to start drawing that specific blinded individual to come to Christ. The Bible tell us that no one comes to the Jesus unless the Father first draws them and all whom the Father draws will come.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him …” John 6:44 (NIV)

“All the Father gives me will come to me …” John 6:37

Since it’s God the Fathers to draw people, let us start praying that he will do it for specific people who are blinded by satan to have their blinders removed.

II. Satan Will Snatch The Word Of The Gospel Away Before The Unbeliever Can Believe.

The Parable Of The Sower:

“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds cam and ate it up … When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one come and snatches away what was sown.” Matthew 13:4,9 (NIV)

The condition for the snatching away of the seed, message of the Gospel, is a lack of understanding of what is being shared. Our response to this Satanic tactic is two fold: 1. Prayer. Pray for that the Holy Spirit will open the mind and heart of the unbeliever to understand and believe the truth of the Gospel. 2. Use a simple to understand Gospel presentation and don’t leave until that person fully understands what is being shared.

III. Satan Will Perform Deceptive Signs and Wonders To Deceive The Unbeliever.

“For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the the elect, if that were possible.” Matthew 24:24 (NIV)

At different time throughout the book of Acts we see counterfeit Christ’s, miracle workers, etc… trying to deceive people to believe their way (a satanic) way, is the right way.

A good response to this kind of satanic tactic is to focus on what God has personally done for you. Use your testimony inline with the Gospel to help people see that Jesus is what they need.

IV. Satan Will Use Other People To Hinder Unbelievers In Believing.

In Acts 13 we see over and over again how Satan used unbelievers following the Apostles to other towns to disrupt the work of the Lord. They will cause disturbances and get angry with God’s messengers.

A good response to these kinds of activities is to focus on the few who do believe and go undercover. Disciple them, strengthen them, and equip them. They then can go back into the community, without outside distractions, to keep the discipling process.

Let’s be aware of how Satan will try to stop us, hinder us or maybe even try to discourage us from our faithful service to Christ and His mission. If we know what to expect, we can begin to prepare for them in advance and not be caught off guard.

What Curtis Sergeant Has To Say About LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY!

Curtis Sergeant

I pretty excited to share that my new book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY has received a powerful recommendation/review from Curtis Sergeant.  

Here's little bit about Curtis which will explain why I am so honored to have his recommendation.  

Curtis has served our Lord in some very powerful positions.  Here are a few:

• He is the founder and lead trainer for MetaCamp. A group to train people to live out powerful missional lives. 

• He has served with E3 Partners as Director of Global Strategies and Vice President.  E3 Partners is a mission agency intended to ignite church planting movements all over the world. 

• Director Of Church Planting at Saddleback Community Church.

• Served with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in the following positions: Associate Vice President For Global Strategy; Strategy Associate For East Asia; Global Strategy Coordinator & Church Planting Trainer; and Strategy Coordinator.  

This guy has served our Lord faithfully for the purpose of saturating our world with the Gospel of Jesus.  

Here's what he has to say about LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY:

"Jay's book follows a similar pattern to many of Paul's epistles, with the first half consisting of theology and principles and the second half being practical application.  The second half is culture-specific.  The first half is universal in application.  The first half is timely and much-needed in our day.  It provides a critically important perspective which has come to be alarmingly rare in recent years.  Its message is simple but not easy.  It directly confronts the idolatry of comfort and convenience in current expressions of Christianity.  It challenges us to live the abundant lives the Lord intends for us to live, the life of a disciple, the life of a servant rather than one who is to be served.  It is worth reading for one's own growth and passing on to the disciples we are making.  I recommend it." ~ Curtis Sergeant

It is my sincerest desire that this book helps God's people to shed the worry that plagues them to join Him on his mission of making disciples of the whole world.  

If you are a Follower of Christ and worry holds you back from joining Christ on His mission or holds you back from doing anything that you know God wants you to do, then it’s time to get rid of that worry and begin to live a worry free life. GET YOUR COPY OF THIS POWERFUL BOOK TODAY & LEARN HOW!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF THIS POWERFUL BOOK

Please feel free to share this message with you friends on Facebook & Twitter.  

DOES THE THOUGHT OF GOING AFTER THE PEOPLE JESUS WOULD GO AFTER WORRY YOU?

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

"Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him (Jesus). But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. Then Jesus told them this parable: 'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:1-7 (NIV)

The Pharisees had constructed a very sophisticated religious bubble to insulate themselves from those who lived in the outside world. They had very little contact with those people and considered them to be sinners and unclean. In one hand the Pharisees were afraid that having any contact with these kinds of people would contaminate them but on the other hand they were hypocrites and just as sinful as anyone else.

But Jesus, in contrast, being the only truly righteous person lived, ministered and befriended those who were part of the sinful outside world. He hung out with them, he ate with them, he laughed and cried with them. He was truly a friend to the sinners.

Jesus' actions and attitudes toward sinners was very disturbing to the Pharisees! So they began to mutter amongst themselves about it. The HCSB translations says they began to complain about it. Isn't that amazing? Here is a person doing good and then you have a group of people "complaining" about it. Why would they complain? The Bible doesn't say why but maybe it was because they felt that Jesus' actions challenged their acceptable way of doing religion. They had set up a whole system of being isolated from the outside world, giving the appearance that they had it all together with the intent of attracting others to their way of doing things. But the problem was that they were hypocrites and they didn't have it all together. Their lifestyle was a lie and therefore ineffective. But here comes Jesus and he does have it all together. He's perfect. There is no hypocrisy in Christ at all and he is not isolating himself from the sinners of the world. In fact he is enjoying their company far more than he enjoyed the company of the Pharisees. So from the Pharisees perspective everything they had built Jesus was now condemning and tearing down by his new approach.

Maybe they were complaining because they personally were not comfortable with people who lived and worked in the outside sinful world. Maybe they didn't know how to relate to them. Maybe their dress, smell, speech and lifestyle were so different from what the Pharisees had become accustom to that they felt totally out of place around them.

Or maybe, they were jealous of the success and attention that Jesus was getting from the outside world! The people were no longer, if they ever did, looking to the Pharisees for spiritual direction now that they had a man who walked and lived amongst them showing them the way. The message of grace that Christ brought verses the message of works that the Pharisees taught was so different that the teaching of Christ was like a breath of fresh air and attracted the masses like bee's to honey. And I am quite sure that the Pharisees became very jealous of his apparent success.

No one really knows the reasons for their complaining. We just know that they did and I think, for those of us who are intentionally trying to pursue the mission of Christ, we can learn a very important lesson. Not every person who claims to have a relationship with God will be excited or supportive of our mission endeavors. In many respects the church of North America has become filled with our own brand of Pharisees. Maybe not in theology but at least in attitude. We have built our own "spiritual bubbles" and spend our time meeting in building trying to outshine each other. We think that we have built a very attractive religious model that those on the outside looking in will want to have. But the reality is that no one is really looking and what they do see may not be very attractive at all. And when follower of Christ actually begins to go out where the people are who need salvation it just might upset others who are comfortable in their nice pretty church buildings.

The thought of pastors or church members going into bars, parties of "those" sinners or any function that the church classifies as worldly in order to build relationships with the unchurched will be appalling to many and even cause a lot of church goers to worry. Yes, the Bible does say that Christians are not to "of the world" but it also does say that Christians are to be "in the world" and the light of the world. Many times the ones you would expect to receive the most encouragement from, as you pursue the mission of Christ, are the ones who cause you the most grief. Sometimes the biggest anxiety we experience as we go after “the least of these” are from our church family! They criticize us and even condemn us for going to places where sinners go.

But don't lose heart and don’t worry! Remember that you are following Christ's example and obeying his commands in this search for his lost sheep. While the work may be hard, discouraging and even difficult it will also ultimately be worthwhile and fulfilling. SO PRESS ON MI AMIGO!

Does the thought of going after the kinds of people that Jesus went after create worry and anxiety in you life? Don’t worry about that, you are not alone in that feeling! We are all used to going after people who more like us than we are people who are different from us. However, we can’t allow the worry and anxiety keep us for pursuing those people! They are people whom God loves and died for us. The Great Commission is for us to go to “ALL” the world. Not just part of it.

If you are going to be obedient to Christ then worry is something that you will need to eliminate from your life! You will need a strategy. A Biblical strategy based on Biblical principles and practices!

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY is book that will teach you those Biblical Principles and Practices and will lead you through a process to develop your own personal strategy for living a WORRY FREE LIFE!

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY was named as an AMAZON #2 BEST SELLER in the 2 categories of Missions/Missionary practices and Counseling/Recovery.

HIT THE LINK BELOW TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THHIS AMAZING BOOK!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR BOOK!

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Mission-Spite-Worry-Relieving-ebook/dp/B07LDGWYC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546279511&sr=8-1&keywords=living+on+mission+in+spite+of+my+worry

Disciple Makers Cannot Play Favorites

Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash

"My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:1-13

Showing Personal Favoritism In Christian Living & Disciple Making Shows:

1.  A Person Has Evil Motives

More often than not our motivation of showing preferential treatment for one person over another person is simply for personal gain.  We exalt one person and belittle another because the one we are exalting we feel can help us in some way.  THIS IS A WRONG MOTIVE IN ALL THINGS BUT ESPECIALLY FOR MISSIONAL LIVING!

2.  A Persona Has Dishonored The Poor Whom God Has Chosen To Bless

Did you catch this point in the Bible verse above?  God has chosen the poor, the outcast, or the lonely to bless them!  We we choose to exclude them or down play their participation we are dishonoring them and thereby dishonoring God.  

3. A Person Has Sinned And Broken The Law of Love

James, the writer of this book, doesn't hesitate in the least to call the attitude of personal favoritism SIN!  When you value one person above another; when you minister to one person above another IT IS A SIN!

4.  The Person Deserve To Be Judged Without Mercy

This Bible verse is very clear what a person who shows personal favoritism, especially in the church and in missional living deserves!  They deserved to be judged without shown mercy. 

NOW THAT'S WHAT IS DESERVED BUT NOT NECESSARILY WHAT THEY'LL GET!  

The Bible also says in 1 John 1:9,

"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  

Sincere repentance and confession from this sin of personal favoritism will bring about God's forgiveness.  

When it comes to living a powerful Missional Life there is absolutely no room for personal favoritism.  Just like the picture above says we need to be going out and sharing the Gospel with those that others have given up on!  Other people may have given up on them but God still loves them and Christ still died for them.  

One last thought to remember!  The truth is that we all were once people that have been given up on.  If it wasn't for Christ's death, burial and resurrection none of us would be saved from our sins.  But praise be to God our Father that He does love us and through Christ provided away for our sins to be removed.

Being Challenged Not To Allow Worry To Overtake You To Loving People Into God's Kingdom!

I just have to tell you that I am so very excited to share this next endorsement with you about my book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY! 

Why?  Because it is from a person who make up the audience I am trying to reach and encourage to be on mission.  That target audience are those that I like to call Ordinary Christians.

What Do I Mean By Ordinary Christian?  First let me say that I am not trying to demean anybody by using that title.  I do believe that all of who come to faith in Christ are now somebody very important. Not because of our own goodness but because of the grace of God.

When I say ordinary christians, I mean people who are just your everyday follower of Christ, who loves Jesus and wants to be obedient. They don't have any special Bible education from a Christian college or seminary but they do love studying the Bible and staying close to Jesus in prayer. 

However, they may worry about joining Christ on His mission for one reason or another.  This book is written to encourage and equip them to live a worry free life while being on mission with Christ. 

Janet Howard is such a Christian.  She loves Jesus with all her heart; she wants to be obedient to Him as an expression of her love for him; she want to share the love of Christ with others but has suffer with some worry over it.  

I had her read this book so as to see if I had accomplished my goal for writing the book, which is to help people overcome their worry and join in God's mission.  Read what she says and see for yourself if I accomplished it or not.

"This book, LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY, is just as the title suggests. The beginning chapters give us foundational biblical reasons why we should not allow worry hinder the mission that God is calling all believers into. The remaining chapters give clear practical advice and steps to take to move forward in that mission without worry. It will be a great book for group studies to encourage and equip ordinary believers live out their mission. As I read through the book I was challenged in my own personal responsibility to not allow worry overtake the need to love people into the kingdom. It's a very worthwhile book to read.”
 
Janet Howard
An Ordinary Christian
Tucson, Az

Check Out This Powerful New Book For Yourself

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR COPY OF

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY: A MUST READ

My very good friend Pastor Billy Galloska has taken the time out of his busy schedule to write me a very wonderful but honest endorsement for my new book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY.

Pastor Billy is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenns Ferry, Idaho.  I love the way he works with his congregation to intentionally equip them live powerful missional lives that brightly shines the Light of Christ in their part of this dark world through making disciples for Jesus Christ.  He and his wife, December, have a powerful testimony of God's transforming power.  Billy understands the needs of ordinary christians and what it takes to empower them to share Christ.  I greatly value his endorsement and what he has to say about my new book, LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY. 

Take a few seconds and read what he has to say about it.

"Worry is a part of every life. Even as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ we can experience worry that sometimes cripples our work. It is no wonder then that ordinary Christians find themselves in the midst of worry that cripples them from sharing God's love in their part of this dark world.

Author Jay Moore uses Living on Mission in Spite Of My Worry to show that even in our worry God can and does empower us to inspire and connect with people in our part of this dark world to share the good news of Jesus when we seek His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Jay has not only hit the mark with this book, he has driven it home. If you have become crippled by worry, whether you are an ordinary Christian or you are a minister, this book is a must-read that will not only keep you reading but make you want to hit the neighborhood halfway through!"

Pastor Billy Galloska
First Baptist Church
Glenns Ferry, Idaho

Check Out This Powerful New Book For Yourself

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR COPY OF

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY

Praying For God To Send More Harvest Laborers Into The Fields

In Luke 10:2 Jesus tells us that the spiritual harvest fields are ready to be harvested but there's one big problem to accomplishing that task!  That problem is that there's just not enough workers to go out and harvest the fields.  But then Jesus gives us the solution to our problem 

Watch this video of how some Followers of Christ in Tucson, Arizona are implementing Christ's solution.  

Are you ready to go start a monthly LUKE 10:2 PRAYER MEETING in your community?  Can you pray for God to raise up, train up and unleash more laborers into the harvest fields?

If so then leave a comment saying, 

"I Will"

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Disciple Are Made - Not Just Born Again

Disciples are made, not just born again! Now that’s an interesting statement and one that really needs to be looked at closely. At one angle the statement seems completely contrary to what we know about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “… you must be born again …”? Of course He did! And what Jesus says is absolute truth! So, then the statement “Disciples Are Made - Not Just Born Again” is false! Or is it?

Didn’t Jesus also say in Matthew 28:18-20 as part of the Great Commission to, “… Go and make disciples …”? Notice the emphasis I am placing on the word, “MAKE”. Again, of course He did! And also, once again, what Jesus says is absolutely truth!

How then do we look at the original statement, “Disciples Are Made - Not Just Born Again”? Simply by just saying that it is true and must be accepted!

The real question then deals with how to understand and harmonize both parts of the statement so that it can guide us into complete obedience to Christ and His mission.

First, let’s take a closer look at what Jesus says about being born again. The statement is found in Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus in the Gospel of John 3:1-21. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to talk with Jesus and get more information from Jesus about the things of God. Nicodemus starts off his discourse with a statement he believed to be true about Jesus. He says,

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God was with him.” (v.2)

Jesus then jumps right in there with this teaching about the need to be born again and how that experience is the entrance into being part of the kingdom of God. The born again experience is the essential step that every person must take if they are going to enter into the Kingdom of God. Without taking that step one cannot enter.

After some questioning and answering back and forth by Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus finally explains that the way one experiences this born again experience is through believing in Him, the Son of God. This is the place where we read one of the most memorized scriptures in the Bible,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever, believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

God grace of salvation, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in Him alone is how one experiences this born again experience.

But in Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus wasn’t talking about the born again experience! He wasn’t talking about the initial step that brings them into the Kingdom of God. No. Jesus was giving His final words of instructions before He leaves this world and goes back to Heaven to wait for the time of His return. Jesus is talking about the final product that is to be produced in those who come to faith in Him.

Jesus was teaching Nicodemus how to get started but Jesus was instructing His apostles about what the final outcome would be for those who come and receive that born again experience. The verses in John 3 talk about the beginnings the verses in Matthew 28 talk about the goal.

The born again experience is the first step in the disciple making process but it is also not the final step. The goal of Jesus is to make him more and more disciples - not just more and more people being born again. While it is very true one cannot become a disciple of Jesus unless they are born again, it is also true that one cannot be a fully devoted follower of Christ by just being born again.

While John 3 brings a person to the first of salvation through faith, Matthew 28 reminds us that being a fully devoted disciple of Jesus requires us to take additional steps of obedience.

If we are striving to be fully devoted followers of Christ are going to be obedient we must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost so they can hear and believe in Jesus and thereby receive that born again experience. But we must also recognize that that there is still much more to do if we are going to be obedient to Christ command and commission in Matthew 28. We must baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and we must teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded.

It is through the sharing of the Gospel, baptizing into the faith and instruction resulting in obedience that disciples are made.

Are You Prepared & Trained To Join Christ When He Brings A Powerful Movement To Your Community

Many people are praying for God to bring one of His powerful movements to their city and their nations!  Many pastors and churches are also praying for God to unleashing a great revival in their area!

But I have a question for you!  

ARE YOU PREPARED TO JOING CHRIST WHEN HE DOES BRING THAT POWERFUL MOVEMENT?

Watch this video and then ask yourself if there are some things you need to be doing as a Christian to be ready to join Christ on His mission.  Pastors you need to ask yourself if there are some things you need to be doing to position your church body (members) to be ready to joining Christ on His mission.  Take a few moment and watch this short video. 

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The Who, The What and The Why To Participating In The Great Commission

Why is the Great Commission so important that it should become our driving desire in life?  That's what this short video is intended to share.  Watch it and share your thoughts about it.