What Will It Take To Reach Your Community With The Gospel Of Jesus Christ!

When we as God’s Children hear that it is our responsibility to make sure that our community hears about the Good News of Jesus Christ we get a bit overwhelmed and begin to doubt whether or not that is even possible. This is especially true if we live in an urban area like Los Angeles or New York City.

Well I want to encourage you today and maybe even empower you using God’s Word. Take a few moments and watch this video about a time when Christ’s Good News totally saturated and urban center of that time. And then never forget. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!

5 Reasons Why You Need To Put To Death The Deeds Of The Flesh & Live By The Spirit!

The Bible admonishes us in Romans 8:13 to put to death the deeds of the sinful flesh by the Holy Spirit so that we might truly live. In other words, true life in the Spirit can only happen when true death happens to the lifestyle of the sinful flesh. Before one can live the other must die.

Jesus put it this way in Luke 9:23,24:

“And he was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” NASB

Again we see this dying in order to live. Life in Christ and life in the Spirit cannot fully happen until their is a death to self and to the sinful deeds of the flesh. And according to Jesus this dying must be a daily activity. It is not something a Christian does once and he’s all good to go. No! On the contrary. Death to the sinful deeds of the flesh is something that needs to happen on a day by day basis and sometimes on a moment by moment basis.

Today we are going to look at a story of Peter and Jesus that will give us 5 reasons why this daily dying is so very important. This story is found in Matthew 16:13-23. It says,

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. ‘But what about you?” he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!’. Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (NIV)

From this story we can learn 5 important things about why a Christian should daily put to death the deeds of the sinful flesh and begin to walk in the Spirit of God. Because:

1. A Christian Can Transition From Walking In The Spirit To Living By The Deeds Of The Sinful Flesh Very Quickly And Without Noticing It.

   Did you notice how this story started off? It started off with Jesus asking a couple of questions about who do people says that Jesus is. Then Jesus got very specific and personal with a second question. He ask: “Who do you say I am?”

   In that moment Peter filled with the Holy Spirit answered the question, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God.” And it was the corrected answer! And Jesus explained how it was that Peter was able to come up with the right answer. Jesus said it was because God had revealed the answer to Him and that Peter hadn’t learned it from any man.

   You see God the Father through the working of the Holy Spirit made known to Peter who Jesus really was. At that very moment Peter was in the Spirit, filled with the Spirit or understanding the identity of Jesus because of the Spirit.

   But then Jesus begins to explain all that was going to happen once they get into Jerusalem. He shared that he was necessary for Him (Jesus) to suffer many things, be killed and then be raise back to life again on the third day.

   Why was Jesus telling his disciple these things? Maybe it was to prepare them for what was about to happen; maybe Jesus felt that since Peter had to nicely answered the question about His identity that the disciples were ready to hear more or maybe it was a combination of both of these things and others all combined. But is note worthy is how Peter responded to this disturbing news.

   Peter takes Jesus aside and begins to rebuke Jesus! Really? Did Peter really feel that he had the right or maybe status to rebuke Jesus? Who knows but that’s what Peter did and Jesus quickly and powerfully corrects Peter for doing it.

   Here’s the point I’m trying to make. One moment Peter is walking in the Spirit and then minutes later Peter is now walking in the deeds of the sinful flesh. It happened that quick! In just minutes.

   The need for being vigilant in daily crucifying the deeds of the flesh because we can move very quickly from walking in the Spirit to walking in the flesh and not even know we made the transition.

2. Walking In The Deeds Of The Sinful Flesh Can Cause You To Start Rebuking Christ.

   Did you noticed that once Peter moved from walking in the Spirit to walking in the deeds of the flesh the first thing he did was to pull Jesus off to the side and “rebuke” Jesus. That’s right the Bible said Peter rebuked Jesus!

   Now before you get to far onto you holy horse and proudly declare that you would never do anything like that let me ask you some self examining questions:

   A: Have you ever complained to God about the some disappointing experience in your life?

   B: Have you ever argued with God about some ministry assignment that He was giving you?

   C: Have you ever avoided reading the Bible because you really didn’t want to hear what God had to say?

   If you answered “Yes” to any of those questions then you have been guilty of rebuking God. Why? Because, just like Peter, you are telling God that you know better than Him and that God should listen to you.

   Instead of rebuking Christ Peter should have taken this disturbing news to Christ and ask him to explain further and to give him more understanding about what He is hearing. Likewise, we too, should go to God is prayer when we hear or sense God telling us something that we really don’t want to hear. Not to argue or rebuke God but to ask for wisdom and understanding.

3. Walking In The Deeds Of The Sinful Will Make You Into A Tool Of Satan.

   When Jesus hears Peter’s rebuke Jesus quickly identify’s what is going on and who is behind all this stuff coming out of Peter’s mouth. Jesus cry’s out, “Get behind me Satan …”

   Jesus was making it perfectly clear that he knew exactly who was behind all this and that in a quick moment Peter had, at best, become a tool for Satan. Satan was using Peter to get Jesus off his path of obedience to the Father.

   Here we can clearly see why is it of the utmost importance that we daily killed the deeds of the sinful flesh and walk in the Spirit. Because if we fail to do so we can quickly become a tool of Satan to try to obstruct God’s plan and mission.

   Now I don’t think that it was Peter’s intention or desire to be a tool of Satan and I don’t think he even knew he was until Jesus identified it. And likewise, I don’t think any of God’s people desire to be used by Satan but that’s exactly what can and will happen if we are not vigilant in putting to death the deeds of the sinful flesh.

4. Walking In The Deeds of The Sinful Flesh Will Make You Into A Roadblock To God’s Work.

   If calling Peter a tool of Satan wasn’t enough Jesus then tells Peter that he had now become a hinderance to Him. He was holding Jesus back, Peter had become a roadblock to Jesus from doing what He was sent to do.

   What exactly was Peter hindering Jesus from doing? Well, Jesus had just been explaining that it was “Necessary” for him to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, die and then be resurrected, so it is only reasonable that Jesus was telling Peter that you are trying to keep me from becoming the sacrificial lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Unknowingly, Peter was being an obstacle that if successful would prevent Jesus from taking the punishment of God for our sins. This was the reason for Jesus’ birth - it was to die on the cross and Peter was being a hinderance to Jesus fulfilling that purpose.

   Did you know that your failure to put to death the deeds of the sinful flesh can actually be used as a hinderance to God in fulfilling His redemptive purposes? Now can you see why it is so imperative for us to daily kill that sinful flesh.

5. Walking In The Deeds Of The Sinful Flesh Blinds Us To What Concerns God Because We Are To Fixated On Our Concerns.

   Read what that last line of verse 23 says,

   “because you’re not thinking of God’s concerns but on human concerns.”

   I guess that’s what’s been true about all of human history. For the most part mankind, including us, have been fixated upon what is important to us and not really caring about what is important to God.

   That was true for the Prophet Jonah. He didn’t want the people of Nineveh to experience God’s forgiveness - Jonah wanted them to experience God’s wrath and judgment. That’s why he didn’t go the first time God called him and even after he went Jonah whined and complained that God did forgive them. You see Jonah knew that it was in God’s nature to forgive those who sincerely repents but Jonah didn’t want them to repent. As a result, Jonah found to joy or happiness in seeing an entire city repent from their sins and experience God’s forgiveness.

   Why did Jonah have this negative attitude? Because he was walking in the deeds of the sinful flesh.

   To walking in the deeds of the sinful flesh is to be hard hearted to what is important to God and it is to be self-centered instead of God-centered. As Christians we find our true and lasting joy by joining God to accomplish what God’s heart desires. To walk in the deeds of the sinful flesh is to lose all that joy that could and should be our.

There is only one solution and that is to mortify, kill, destroy the works of the sinful flesh from our lives on a day by day basis and sometimes that is on a moment by moment basis during a particular day.

Now that you know 5 reasons why it is so important to do, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to allow the deeds of the sinful flesh live on in your life or are you going to kill them? Do you even know how to kill them?

Let me close with his quick little Bible verse to help you understand how to accomplish that killing? In Galatians 5:16 it says,

“I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desires of the flesh.”

This is a promise! If you learn to live by the Holy Spirit and His control over your life you will naturally not carry out the desire of the sinful flesh. You can’t kill the flesh with flesh. You kill the flesh by the Holy Spirit living in and through you.

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Biblical Principle #1 For Shining The Light Of Christ

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Biblical Principle #1 For Shining The Light Of Christ Brightly In Your Part Of This Dark World!

Watch this video and receive empowerment from God’s Word to go live a life that reflects the glory of Christ back into the lives of those still trapped in darkness.

4 Different Participants For Gospel Penetration

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

When a person comes to faith in Christ and receives the forgiveness of sin that comes from God it is because 4 different Persons have been working their roles.  Each of these persons are important and so is the roles that each of them play.  As you will see both you and I, as a Follower of Christ, play an important role!  So, who are these persons and what roles do they play?

ROLE #1:  God The Father As The Drawer

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:44 (NIV)

Before any person can come to faith in Jesus Christ and received the forgiveness of sin they so desperately need, they first must be drawn by God the Father. It is the work of the Father to create a hunger and thirst in peoples heart to have what Christ has to offer them.

Why do people when they come to faith in Christ seem so ready and prepared to receive Christ? Why is that they are like ripe fruit just waiting to be picked? It is because God the Father has already been at work in their life preparing the soil of their life to be good soil ready to receive the seed of the gospel and bring about a desire, hungering and thirsting for this wonderful Good News. And it is good news to them because it is offering what their hearts are longing for and their hearts are longing for it because the Father has created that desire for it.

ROLE #2:  The Holy Spirit As The One Who Convicts

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;” John 16:8 (NAS)

It is the role of the Holy Spirit to convict people. Specifically the Holy Spirit convicts people of the sin in their lives, the righteousness life they are lacking and need to have, and that because of their sinfulness and lack of righteousness that they will be caught up in the coming judgement of God when Christ returns.

No one fills bad about their sinful life unless the Holy Spirit first convicts them of it and thereby keeps them from sensing the need for experiencing a changed life. No one will want to have a changed life if they are not convinced that their life isn’t good enough to stand before a Holy God. And no one will fear punishment if they are not convinced that this Holy God will hold the accountable, in Judgement, for the sins they have committed. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to give people this conviction of heart that will prepare them to receive the wonderful gift of life through faith in Christ.

ROLE #3: God's People As The Proclaimer

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Cor 5:20 (NIV)

Every person who comes to faith in Christ, the Bible tells us, becomes a new creation in Christ. The old things have passed away and all things have become new. One of those new things that we have is a new identity with a new job.

The Bible tells us that in 2 Cor. 5:20 that all of us who have received Christ and His forgiveness have become His Ambassadors to our part of this spiritually dark world. As His ambassadors we are to declare His message of being reconciled with God. We are to proclaim His Gospel message. We are to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who still need to hear.

The Bible tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes from hearing the message of Christ, the Gospel. Without the Gospel being shared it can not be heard; and if the Gospel isn’t heard, faith cannot be generated to believe it; and if one does not believe it, they cannot receive it.

So, the gospel has to be shared in order for a person to be saved. IT IS ESSENTIAL! And it is the job of all Christians to share this amazing Gospel message to all who live in their part of this dark world.

ROLE #4:  Jesus As The Receiver 

“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” John 6:39 (NIV)

It is the job of Jesus Christ to receive all that the Father draws to Him and to lose none of them but to raise them all up on the last day.

When the Father does His job of drawing a person to His Son (Jesus) and when the Holy Spirit does His job of convicting that person of His sin and when Christians do their job of proclaiming the Gospel to those people who are drawn and convicted something very amazing happens! Jesus receives all of them, loses none of them and raises them all up on the last day at the resurrection.

In other words Jesus gathers them all up and none are lost!

Evangelism Implications:

1. Everybody Has To Do Their Work For People To Be Saved! Each Person of the Trinity needs to do their job so that people can come to salvation. We don’t have to worry about that! God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are perfect and will always do their job and do it very well. The issue of not doing their job isn’t with God but with us who are Christians. Christians have the honor and the responsibility to be the delivery boy of the God’s Good News, but how good of a job are we doing?

2. Prayers For Specific Peoples To Be Saved Is Powerful! Christians should be steadfast and intentional in their prayers for specific people coming to faith in Christ and for God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to do their job in the lives of those specific people. God loves to hear the prayers of His saints as they cry out for salvation to come to their family and friends and for God to prepare them for that salvation. We should pray for specific people we know that the Father would create a hunger and thirst in their lives for Jesus; that the Holy Spirit would convict them of their sinfulness and created a fearfulness of the coming judgement, so that when the gospel is shared with them they will believe.

3. Lots Of Gospel Seeds Need To Be Sown! Christians daily should be sharing their story of faith to Christ and Christ’s story of salvation to those they know, love and long to be saved. They should share this same message with those they have just met to see if God has prepared them for salvation. Christians need to become competent and confident in share the Good News of Christ.

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

Does Satan Engage In Identity Theft?

Now that’s a really good question!

Does he? And what do I mean when I say that?

Take a quick moment and watch to see if your identity in Christ has been stolen by Satan or not!

SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE Part 2: Having The Strength For Being Victorious

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

After the word, “Finally” the following sentence indicate the one essential ingredient necessary for experiencing victory in spiritual warfare over Satanic attacks. This is not just a good suggestion that might be consider but essential element that necessary for overcoming the enemy during spiritual battle. Failure to utilize this ingredient is doomed to failure whereby you are defeated by the enemy. In other words, you can’t win over Satan unless you include this essential ingredient. THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED: ESSENTIAL!

What is this essential ingredient that is so necessary in gaining the victory ins spiritual warfare? It is strength! Our enemy, Satan, is a strong adversary and it is essential that we are stronger than him. Satan is a formidable adversary that requires us to be even more formidable. When a soldiers engages in hand to hand combat it is usually the one who is the strongest that prevails. So, it is imperative that we know that we have much greater strength than our enemy, Satan, if we are going to be victorious in overcoming him during our times of spiritual battles.

In this verse we are told that we need to gain our strength in two areas. I say two but to be honest they are both from the same thing. However, you can’t avail yourself to the second area unless you first receive the first area. What are these two areas of strength:

FIRST AREA OF STRENGTH: THE LORD JESUS HIMSELF.

What does the verse say,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord …”

The spiritual strength that allows us to experience victory in spiritual warfare comes from us being Strong “In The Lord”. There are two important things to notice from this sentence.

First, Our strength for overcoming spiritual warfare emanates from Christ himself. Christ is the source of the necessary powerful for gaining the victory in spiritual warfare. Listen to what the Apostle John says in 1 John 4:1-4,

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (NIV)

In this verse the Apostle John is talking about not believing every spirit but to test them to see if they are of God or not. Spiritual warfare has a lot to do with deception. Satan will use false prophets that sound real good but are not of God. John calls this the spirit of the anti-christ.

But then in verse four John makes three powerful points . These three points should provide hope to all of God children, especially those of His children who are intentionally engaging in the mission of our Lord. What does he say? He says,

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (vs. 4).

• First John says: That we who follow Christ are from God. Because of Christ;’s death, burial and resurrection and our faith in Him as Lord we now belong to God. God is our master and our Lord. Satan no longer has any claims over us. We have been bought back by God. We now belong to him.

  There’s an old gospel hymn I grew up singing. It’s called NOW I BELONG TO JESUS written by Billy Speer. Listen to the lyrics and let their message sink deep into your heart and soul.

  (v. 1) “Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
  From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,
  He gave His life to ransom my soul;
  Now I belong to Him;

  (Chorus) Now I belong to Jesus,
  Jesus belongs to me,
  Not for the years of time alone,
  But for eternity.

  (v. 2) Once I was lost in sin's degradation,
  Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
  Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,
  Now I belong to Him;

  (v. 3) Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,
  Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me
  His precious blood, He came to redeem,
  Now I belong to Him;

We truly are from God! Why? Because God bought us, owns us through the precious blood of Jesus when He died on the cross. Here’s a clear Biblical principle that we need to get very clear in our mind: Because Jesus bought and paid for us through his death on the cross, his burial and his resurrection from the grave, we now belong to him and as such everything we need, including the power to be victorious in spiritual warfare, is provided to us from him.

• Second John says: We have overcome them: Who’s the “them” he is talking about? It’s the evil spirits that it referred to just a few sentences earlier. Here’s a most important fact that we must understand in both our mind and our hearts. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection and through our faith in Christ as Lord, we have already become the victors. The war has already been won. While there still may be some individual skirmishers still going on the - the war has already been won. Because of Christ we no longer need to fear death, the grave or even sin. THE VICTORY HAS ALREADY BEEN WON BY CHRIST!

• Finally John says: The one who is in us is greater than the one who resides in the world. Through our faith in Christ, Christ baptized us into the Holy Spirit and now through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives Christ himself is living His life, not only in us but also through us. The strength we need to prevail in spiritual warfare is the same strength that Christ used to overcome Satan and now through the Holy Spirit Christ himself lives in us and Christ who has already defeated Satan can do it again but this time through us.

  There’s an amazing story of what happens when you try to engage in spiritual warfare without having Christ in your life. It’s found in Acts 19:11-20.

  There were seven sons of Sceva living in Ephesus during the time of the Apostle Paul and his missionary journey into Ephesus. These seven sons of Sceva had seen and heard about how the Apostle Paul healed the sick and casted out demons and, for whatever reason, wanted to do the same but didn’t have a personal relationship with Christ. Then one day these seven brothers found a demon possessed man and tried to command the demon to come out of him. Then the demon responded back to them,

  “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” (v. 15, 16 NIV)

  Here’s a lesson we can learn from this story. If you don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, you don’t have the power to overcome in spiritual warfare.

  Did you read what the demon man said to those seven brothers right before he gave them pound down? He said, “… Jesus I know and Paul I know about …”

  Don’t let his statement escape you too quickly! He said that he knew Jesus. Of course he did. Demons are nothing more than fallen angels who followed Satan in the great rebellion. That demon had seen Jesus, the Son of God, before He was born of a virgin, in Heaven sharing the Glory of God the Father. This knew exactly who Jesus was and feared him.

  But then the possessed man said a second thing: I know about Paul. The Apostle Paul was on this demons radar. He knew about him, he had heard the spiritual rumors about Paul, probably from other demons and he also knew that he didn’t wanted to mess around with Paul because Paul was a born again, Spirit filled with the life of Christ being lived out through him. Though he had never personally encountered Paul, he knew he didn’t want to because of Jesus who lived in and through him. You see this demon knew that Paul had the power to defeat him because he had Christ living in him.

  But for these seven sons of Sceva this demon also knew that they were not Spirit filled and Christ didn’t live in them and as a result they had no fear of them. 7 to 1 meant nothing to that demon possessed man. Why? Because that demon knew that no mortal man could defeat him, only the person who is strong in the Lord by having the Lord himself living in and through him.

So if we are want to be victorious in spiritual warfare we first need to be strong in the Lord. Our walk with Christ needs to be strong; our prayer life needs to be strong in Christ; our desires and will need to be submitted to Christ.

SECOND AREA OF STRENGTH: IN CHRIST’S POWER!

Now we need to refine our focus to one specific area of being in Christ and that is to be also “In His (Christ’s) might power. In other words, we need to make sure that when it comes to spiritual warfare we are utilizing the power of Christ and not our own power.

Well then one has to ask themselves this very important question: If one is in Christ is it possible to attempt to do things (like spiritual warfare) in some other strength like our own?

And the answer to that question is an resounding

“ABSOLUTELY YES”!

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” Galatians 5:13-17 (NASB)

In these few verses in Galatians we see that it is not only possible for Christians to live a life of sinful desires but that it is something so probable that we are admonished to guard against it. Please understand, being tempted to live a life in the sinful flesh is part of spiritual warfare.

But there is a remedy to becoming over whelmed with spiritual warfare and that is to intentionally choose to live a life by the Holy Spirit, to be filled by the Holy Spirit, or to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. These verses are very clear, if we are walking in the Spirit we will not carry out the desires of the sinful flesh or another way of saying it is that we will not over overcome during spiritual warfare. We will be the victor!

Listen to what God says to Zerubbable through the prophet Zechaiah about the kind of power necessary to accomplish the Lord’s work and experience victory,

“So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LordAlmighty.” Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

The key to experiencing the strength that is necessary to being victorious in spiritual warfare is to first make sure you have a personal relationship with Christ and second is ensure that you are daily walking in the Spirit of God so that you are plugged in to the power source.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PART 1:

CLICK HERE TO SEE PART 3

CLICK HERE TO SEE PART 4:

Suiting Up For Spiritual Warfare: Part 1

At the end of the book of Ephesians the Apostle Paul begins to teach and instruct on spiritual warfare and the need for putting on the armor in order to have victory. Here’s what he says,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes …” Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)

The book of Ephesians was a letter sent to the church at Ephesus reminding them of all the things that Paul had taught them personally when he was with them. The teachings and instructions contained in this letter were the same teachings that Paul gave to all the new believers, in all the churches that he started. You see almost all these same teachings and in almost the same order Paul taught in the book of Colossians. We also see these same topics of instruction given not only by Paul but also by the Apostle Peter.

Obviously, these particular teachings were consider by Paul, Peter and actually all the rest of the Apostles as vital for the spiritual health and protection for the saints. In the Book of Acts, chapter two, where it says that the new believers devoted themselves to the Apostles Teaching, it could very well be referring to these teaching and trainings we find in Ephesians, Colossians and 1 Peter.

But the very last teaching and instruction we find in Ephesians deals with spiritual warfare and suiting up with the armor necessary for gaining the victory. Verse 10 starts off with the word, “Finally”. In other words, Paul is wrapping up his letter and letting the readers know that this is the last topic he is going to teach on. After teaching about who Christ is, our salvation in Christ, living a life worthy of our call, how to treat our parent and kids; our husbands and wives; and our masters and our slaves Paul ends with this topic of spiritual warfare and the armor necessary for victory.

Why at the end? Why not at the beginning or the middle?

I believe it is because of the urgent importance of the subject dealing with spiritual attacks and how to handle them. Now don’t get me wrong I believe that all of the topics and lessons contained in the Ephesians are very important! If they weren’t I don’t believe that they would have been in the Bible to start with. The Bible tells us that all of the Bible is vitally important to the life and vitality of God’s people.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Since all these topics are contained in the Bible - they are important and they are useful. They are useful in teaching us the truth, rebuking us when we do wrong, correcting us on how we are suppose to act, and how to live a life that is pleasing to God. So, please understand that all of scripture is important, useful and comes from God.

However, I do believe that some topics and instructions are more urgent than others. The word “Urgent” is an adjective that means:

• a state or situation requiring immediate action or attention.

• an action or an event done or arranged in response to a pressing or critical situation.

• a person or their manner earnest and persistent in response to a pressing situation.

Spiritual warfare by its very nature requires immediate action because of the critical situation that it creates and as a result should be the earnest and persistent response of every follower of Christ. The nature of spiritual warfare is a critical and pressing situation that should cause all of God’s people to take it seriously.

While other topics found in Ephesians are important and useful not all of them are urgent like those of spiritual warfare. And that’s why I believe that the Apostle Paul taught on it last. With spiritual warfare being the last thing the recipients would read insures that it is also the foremost thing they will remember.

Why would the Apostle Paul want to make spiritual warfare the foremost thing for people to remember? Because it could quite possibly be the first thing that a new believer experiences in their new life in Christ.

Think about it for just a moment. Do we really think that Satan is going to be alright with the fact that another one of his slaves has just been liberated by the Gospel and defected from his kingdom into the Kingdom of Heaven?

Of course not!

Satan hates it. He can’t stand it. Every time another persons surrenders their life over to the Lordship of Christ Satan has a little less rulership over this world. He is just a little bit closer to the total defeat he will eventually experience. And that’s just not acceptable to him! And, he’s going to fight back.

One of the first groups of people that spiritual warfare will come too are those new believers in Christ. Satan wants to make sure that even though they are free and their sins have been forgiven, they are going to suffer for their treason. He is going to hit them hard and fast. He may not own them anymore, they may now belong to Christ but Satan wants to neutralize their effectiveness in their service to Christ. And so he attacks them.

As a result of this reality the Apostle Paul knows that these new believers need to be quickly prepared for the spiritual attack that will be coming. And what better way to accomplish that than by making this topic the last thing they hear to ensure it’s the first thing they remember.

Another group of people that spiritual warfare will hit are those who are intentionally joining Christ on His mission of making more and more disciples. All Christians are called to follow Christ and where is Christ leading us?

• To a life on mission.

• To a life of making him more disciples!

• To a life of sharing the Gospel to those still held as slaves to sin and blinded by Satan.

In a very real sense every Christian is called by Jesus to be spiritual freedom fighters, liberating those held captive by Satan through the sharing of the Gospel of Christ. It’s not just what we do but in a very real sense it is who we are. It’s our purpose, reason and mission for living in this spiritually dark world.

And when Christians begin to take hold of this new identity and intentionally try to live it out, the demonic forces of this world will respond and fight back.

Why?

Because every time we share the Gospel with a lost person in this world we are picking a fight with Satan. That’s right, I did say, “WE ARE PICKING A FIGHT WITH SATAN!”

Let’s get real for just moment. Does anyone really think that Satan is going to be alright with us coming into his kingdom and liberating his slaves? Do we really think he is going to stand at the entrance of his spiritual concentration camps and yell out to us, “Come on in. It’s o.k. I’ll let you free my slaves.”

Of course not! That kind of thinking is absurd and naive.

The truth of the matter is that Satan is going to fight back. He is going to do what he did with Job and later Peter. He will go before God, present himself alongside the angels and ask permission to sift us like wheat with the intent to cause us to curse God to His face. Take a look at what the Bible says,

“… One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.’ Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’ ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” Job 1:6-12 (NIV)

While there are a whole lot of great spiritual truths to learn from these few verse here are just two important lessons we need to learn today.

1. Satan will ask permission to attack us spiritually

2. God will give him permission to do it.

In other words Satan not only wants to spiritually attack us he is also willing to go before God to get permission to do it and God, at times, will grant him that permission.

Spiritual warfare is unavoidable from both God’s and Satan’s design and perspective. At this point let me reassure you that God and Satan have totally different intentions for wanting and allowing spiritual warfare in our lives. Real quickly we know that Satan wants it to use it to cause us to curse God to His face (destroy our faith) but God want to use it to make us stronger in our faith.

So yes, if you are going to be obedient to Christ by joining Him on His mission of making disciples then you are a target for spiritual attacks by Satan and the demonic kingdom.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT PART 2

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT PART 3

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT PART 4

Do You Have The Credibility For Sharing Jesus?

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When it comes to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those we know who are far from God having a credible life is everything! Would you agree with that statement?

It isn't which Gospel presentation you are using! I And, it isn't even  how good of speaker you are! 

When it come to effectively sharing Jesus with others it's all about whether or not you're believable or not.  It's all about your credibility!

If you're not credible, if people don't believe you, it doesn't matter how true your message is, people won't trust what you are sharing with them about Jesus.  CREDIBILITY IS EVERYTHING!

So, in today's message/video I want to share with you how to become a credible witness for Christ! How to build that credibility so others will trust in what you are sharing.  

If it is your sincerest desire to live a powerful missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ in your part of this dark world, then being credible is absolutely crucial!

Take a few moments and check out the following video on developing the credibility necessary for sharing Christ effectively with others!

If you haven’t already signed up to receive our powerful encouragement, equipping and empowerment for living a powerful missional life then just give us your email address in the box below. As part of signing up for the regular updates I will also send you our three part video training on sharing the Gospel with others.

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

The Mystery Of The Gospel Seed

Jesus loved to teach people about the Kingdom of God and what it is like. He would most often use parables or stories to illustrate the lesson he was trying to teach. These stories dealt with real life things but had a spiritual or Kingdom of God lesson to it. Here’s the parable of the mystery of the Gospel seed.

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

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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!

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

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"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!

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Disciple Makers Cannot Play Favorites

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"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

2 REASONS WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD NEVER WORRY!

Photo by Niklas Hamann on Unsplash

No matter how you cut it, life is filled with trials, tribulations and difficult times and as a result people tend to worry and fret over what will become of it all.  But for those who are Followers of Christ who are actively and intentionally joining Christ on His mission of redeeming a lost world the trials, tribulations and difficult times are multiplied.  In addition to all the normal difficulties of life Missional Christians also fight a spiritual battle of Satan trying to discourage the believer. But in the midst of all these struggles we hear the voice of Jesus ring out saying,

” … do not be anxious for your life … ” Matthew 6:25 (NAS)

Notice what Jesus didn’t say,  He didn’t say, “Try not to worry to much!”  No, He just told us to stop it!  But how?  How can you stop worry about the unknown that follows a trial and tribulation?  Well lucky for us Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, not only tells us to stop it but He also tells us the cure for the worried life and how to experience peace instead!

This is so important for those who are intentionally living a missional life because this kind of lifestyle will be filled with lots of difficult trials and tribulations and if your faith is not firmly rooted in Christ you will literally worry yourself to death as you attempt to live a missional life.

So today, we are going to look at 2 reason why we shouldn’t worry!

2 Reasons For Why You Shouldn’t Worry  (Matthew 6: 25-34)

#1:  Because There’s More To Life Than Your Worries!

”  do not be anxious for your life. Is not life more than food, and body more than clothing.”  (v. 25 NAS)

The truth of the matter is that when we worry or get anxious about something we are focusing on a very small part of our life.  Whether we worry about food, clothing, health, work, or finances the truth of the matter is that these are just a small part of what makes up our  lives.  Life is also filled with many other things. These others things are good and pleasing and amazing.  When we worry we are choosing to not look at the good things that are going on in our lives.

#2:  Because Worry Doesn’t Accomplish Anything!

“And who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.” (v. 27 NIV)

Think about it for a moment!  What does worry do for you?  What does it change?  Does the energy you spend on worry help to fix the issue or the problem?  No!  Absolutely not!  Can worry give you a longer life?  No. Actually, science now says that worry can shorten your life.  It can contribute to all kinds of physical problems that can lead to a diminished healthy life.  So, I ask what good does worrying do for you?  No good at all !

For more great Biblical teachings on the principles and practice for living a worry free life while joining Christ on His mission, check out this powerful book entitled:

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY.

In this book you will learn:

• Six Biblical principles for over coming worry while being missional.

• Five Biblical principles for implementing a worry free life.

• And a section for developing your own personal strategy for a life without worry.

  CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT

Failure: A Tombstone Or A Stepping Stone?

How you deal with failure will have a lot to do with how well you join Christ on His mission!  Watch this video and be encouraged! 

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.