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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4 Different Participants For Gospel Penetration

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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.

One Often Overlooked Principle For Igniting A Disciple Making Movement

When it come to joining Christ on His mission and seeing a church planting/disciple making movement ignite there is often one essential but overlooked principle that needs to be considered. Watch this video to learn what that principle is and then consider how we can most effectively incorporate it. Leave your thoughts as a comment.

SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE Part 4: Knowing Who's Not The Enemy

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“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)

Part of suiting up or preparing for spiritual warfare is to know your enemy. It’s to know who they are so you can recognize them in battle; understand their tendencies and tactics so you are not caught off guard during an encounter with them; and to make sure you are not bringing the fight to the wrong person or group.

In Tom Cruise’s movie The Last Samurai Nathan Algren, a captain in the US Cavalry, has been tasked to prepare the Japanese army to fight again the Samurai led by their leader Katsumoto. While the Samurai are considered to be the enemy of Japan, Katsumoto and the rest of the Samurai believe there struggle is actually in service to Japan’s Emperor and their country. In two different scenes both Captain Algren and Katsumoto express the same attitude about preparing for battle. Both of them share that to prepare for battle against their new enemy they would have to get to know their enemy. So each of them in their own way studies there opponent and gets to know as much about them as possible. Why? To be prepared for when the battle begins, to know what to expect, and develop a strategy that will lead to victory.

This is exactly what the Apostle Paul is now saying in verse 12. He is sharing with the readers that we must know our enemy if we are to be successful and victorious in our struggle during spiritual warfare. To not know your enemy is the path to loss and failure. Successful boxers train with sparing partners who have many of the same tendencies and characters of the opponent they are to fight. Why? To prepared for when the real fight begins. Knowing your enemy is part of suiting up! It’s getting your mind prepared.

But First We Need To Know Who’s Not Our Enemy:

Isn’t interesting that the Apostle starts off telling us who isn’t army before he tells us who is our enemy? I think it’s because Paul knew that too often we have mistaken our enemy for someone who really isn’t our enemy at all. More harm has been done in the name of spiritual warfare because people had a wrong idea of who the enemy was. And as a result they wasted so much time, energy, resources and not to mention credibility with those who desperately need to know Jesus.

So, who’s not our enemy? Who are those we are not to consider our enemy? Read what Paul says:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, …”

Quite simply our enemy is not other people. You mother or father are not the enemy! Your spouse is not the enemy! Your employer or rude co-worker are not your enemy! Not even that obnoxious next door neighbor is your enemy! No person who has ever lived or is alive today is your enemy. When it comes to spiritual warfare. They might be the most unpleasant of individuals you have ever met but they still are not your enemy in spiritual warfare.

Although they may act like your enemy they are not. Then why do they act the way they do? To explain this lets break all of mankind down into two Biblical categories:

• First, there are people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. That would include anyone who has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and surrendered over to the Christ’s Lordship. Regardless of that persons past, race, language, country of origin, or any other ways we try to separate ourselves from one another, if they have given their lives over to Jesus the Bibles says they are family. Through Christ all our previous differences have been torn down and we all have been brought together in Christ as one family in God. Other Christians, therefore, are not our enemy, they are family.

• Then, there are people who aren’t Followers of Christ. They have never surrendered to Christ by faith. They are still in opposition to God. If they are in opposition to God then why aren’t they our enemy. To answer that question lets look at how the Bible describes the unbelievers.

  They Are Blinded By Satan!

  “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our 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 gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corn 4:1-4 (NIV)

  Did you see that? The god of this age, Satan, has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they can’t see the light of the gospel. Who do unbelievers act the way they do? Why are they so opposed to God? Simple because they can’t see the truth and it is Satan who has blinded them.

  They Are Slaves To Sin!

  “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36 (NIV)

  The fact of the matter is that every unbeliever is in bondage, a slave to, chained to sin! Sin is their master and they belong to sin. A slave has to do what their master wants them to do. The master controls them and directs them. So when an unbeliever persecutes one of our brothers and sisters in Christ they are only doing what their master commands them to do.

  Now when you put both of these two images together when begin to see a very sad reality that should cause all of God’s people to not hate or consider unbelievers as the enemy. What’s that picture these two combined images create of an unbelievers. Simple this:

  Unbelievers who persecute God’s people do so because they are SLAVES TO SIN and being commanded to do so and they are BLINDED BY SATAN so they can’t even see that what they are doing is horrible and sadly, because of their blindness, they think they are doing what is right and good in the sight of God.

  Close your eyes for just a moment and begin to imagine some particular rude unbeliever you know but imagine them walking around in stocks and chains as a slave to sin and this big thick blindfold covering their eyes with Satan walking behind them whispering in their ears deceiving them into what to believe. Can you see it? Is that picture clear in your mind? Now wouldn’t you agree that image is just pitiful? But that’s how we all were before we to know Christ. And because it is such a pitiful sight it should well up in our hearts pity for them.

  I think this is why Stephen, one of the first deacons of the early church, as he was being pummeled with stones to his death for preaching Jesus and the Gospel could make this petition to the Lord on their behalf. Stephen said.

  “Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60 (NIV)

  What? Are you kidding me? Did Stephen just really pray for God not to hold this particular sin of killing him against them? Yes, that is exactly what he did! And, why? Because Stephen knew that they were not his enemy!

  What Stephen at the moment of his death said is very much like what Christ said while hanging on the cross. Christ prayed for the His Father to forgive those who were killing him because they know not what they are doing. You see Jesus knew that those people who were killing them were actually people blinded by Satan and couldn’t see the truth of their actions. Jesus knew that in a very real sense the people who had him arrested, convicted, and nailed to the cross they were not his enemy. In fact they, along with us, are the ones whom He was dying for. They and us are the ones that Jesus and God the Father loves! While it may not appears so at first glance, they are the ones we have come to liberate from slavery to sin and the blindness of Satan. They are the ones needing salvation.

  The Apostle Paul knew this concept better than most other people, for he, at one time, was one of those murderers and Christian haters. He made it his life’s pursuit to seek out and arrest all who claim Christ as savior, that is until he was liberated from spiritual slavery and saw the truth for what it really was. And once he gave his life over to Christ, he became the very thing he once hated most, a Christ loving disciple maker! PEOPLE ARE OUR ENEMY! And we shouldn’t treat them as such. We should love them in spite of their sinfulness.

  Now that we have clearly identified who’s not our enemy the next post will identify who really is our enemy and what he is like.

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SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE Part 3: The Necessity For Spiritual Armor

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

THE ADMONITION: Make Sure You’re Fully Suited Up For Spiritual Battle:

The Apostle Paul starts off in verse 11 with the admonition for us to ensure that we have been full suited up with our spiritual Armor. He’s not suggesting that we put on some of the armor or even most of the armor. No, the Apostle Paul is very clear. We are to make sure we are to put on every piece of our spiritual armor because without all of the pieces we leave ourselves vulnerable to the attacks of the demonic forces that we fight against.

To leave off even one piece of the armor is to create a chink in the armor thus exposing a vital area of our spiritual life to the devil and his attacks. Each piece of the armor is intended to protect a specific essential area of our spiritual life that is vital to our spiritual growth and vitality.

Next, I want you to take notice who’s armor we are to put on! We are not told to put on our own armor! In this verse the spiritual armor that we are to wear is identified as belonging to God. It is God’s armor we are to wear when entering into spiritual battle.

Why is this so important? Because, any king who is leading his soldier into battle will not only be fully suited up with his armor but will be fully suited up with the very best of armor! The materials used and the craftsmanship in making the armor will be the very best. Inferior materials and inferior craftsmanship will not be tolerated when it comes to the king. Why? Because, protecting the king and ensuring his safety is of the utmost importance.

In times past, there were situations, where two opposing kings each would select a champion to go fight each other. Just man against man. This soldier against soldier battle was done instead of the two armies battling it out. It was done in order to spare the loss of lots and lots of lives. The king of the champion that lost would then surrender to the king who’s champion won and he and the his subjects would become servants to the king of the champion.

There were times after a champion was selected that his king would then offer for him his armor to wear into the battle. Why the offer? Again, it was because the armor of the king is always the best armor made and offered the best protection the enemy. The kings offer to wear his armor was to give his champion the best possibility for victory.

That’s exactly what happened when David went out to fight Goliath. Take a look at 1 Samuel 17:37-39 says,

“… Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with you.' ‘Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.” (NIV)

Out of all the soldiers in Israel not one of them was willing to go fight Goliath as Israel’s champion. They all were to afraid. But because of David strong faith in God, even though he was just shepherd boy, he was willing to make his stand against the giant. Even though he had no armor of his own, he was wiling to go. King Saul seeing both the courage and faith of this young man was then wiling to offer his very own armor for David to wear into battle. He wanted to give David the best fight chance possible to win. As it turned out David didn’t wear the armor because it was to big and he had not trained fighting with the armor. David knew he had a far better chance for victory if he used that which he knew best and not using something so unfamiliar.

Now here’s the point I am trying to make with all of this information.

Our Spiritual Armor Is God’s Armor

God is clothing us with the VERY BEST of Spiritual Armor, His armor, so that we are very well protected from the enemy. If this is God’s armor that He would wear into battle don’t you think it is made of the very best of material and the very best of skill crafted it?

THIS IS SO AMAZING! God isn’t sending us out to fight the enemy with whatever protection we can find! God has provided us the very best of protection. HIS ARMOR!

THE RATIONALE: So We Can Stand Against The Enemy:

Would I be to bold to say that the armor of God is even impregnable. I LOVE THAT WORD! This word “impregnable” is a powerful word and shouldn’t be used lightly.

Here’s what it means:

“unable to be defeated or destroyed”

When I say that wearing the Armor of God makes us impregnable I am saying that we cannot be defeated or destroyed during spiritual warfare and I believe that is exactly why the Apostle Paul told us to make sure that every piece of God’s Armor is put on! It is to ensure that we come out the victors in each and every spiritual warfare encounter.

THE ARMOR OF GOD MAKES US IMPREGNABLE TO SATAN.

Notice what Paul says immediately after his strong admonition to put on the full armor of God. He says,

“…so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Wearing the Armor of God allows us to stand against our enemy - not fall on our knees before our enemy. It gives us the ability to withstand the onslaught of Satan’s attack and be the one left standing when the attack is over.

Wearing the full of Armor of God doesn’t mean the battle is going to be easy or painless, it just means, when it’s all over and done, you’re left standing the victor. You might be beaten and battle worn but you will be the one left standing.

So, now can you see why it is a necessity and not just a suggestion when it comes to wearing the full Armor of God?

It’s The Difference Between Victory & Defeat

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Time To Lace Up Your Spiritual Boots

In Ephesians 6 where it talks about putting on the full Armor of God and specifically to shod your feet with the readiness of the Gospel, notice it doesn’t say to put on the Gospel but to put on the readiness or preparedness of the Gospel. Or in my words, “Make sure you’re prepared to share the Gospel with those who need to hear it!

The Gospel isn’t something we put on but is something that God has put on us. We experience the effects of the Gospel as it transforms our lives and frees us from the guilt of our sin. But in this verse of Ephesians we are specifically told that we are to do something - not to allow something to be done to us. What is it? It is making sure that we as individual Christians are well prepared and ready to share the Gospel to anyone, in any place at any time.

Being prepared to share the Gospel is part of Spiritual Warfare. Have you ever thought about it in that way before? But it is and we should really start looking at being prepared to share the Good News as part of our spiritual warfare encounters. That why we get trained and train other disciples to do the same. Being trained to share the Gospel helps us to be more effective in spiritual warefare!

Sharing the Gospel is an act of Spiritual Warfare. It is us liberating those still enslaved to sin and blinded by Satan by the sharing of the Gospel to others. We are freedom fighters and the Gospel is the key that unlocks their chains and gives them freedom!

Do you really think that Satan is going to stand idly by and watch you free his slaves. Of course not! Satan will respond; he will fight back hard and with a vengeance. Satan can hardly stand it every time a sinner repents after hearing the Gospel.

Here’s another way to look at it; every time we share Gospel we are picking a fight with Satan.

TIME TO GET PREPARED!

Here’s a couple of books that will help you in getting ready and being prepared to share the Gospel.

The first one is called: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: A Journey Into Missional Living. It was written to encourage you, empower you and better equip you to share Jesus with others. Click the link below to get more information about that book!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON THIS GREAT BOOK!

The second book is called: LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY. Everyone has had worry about being a witness for Christ. This book will give you both Biblical principles and Biblical practices to rid your life from worry so you can share Jesus with peace of heart and mind. Click the link below to read up more on this powerful book!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY

7 Things To Avoid In Order To Live A Powerful Missional Life

I know you have a strong desire to join Christ on His mission by living a powerful missional life.

We often take a whole lot of time talking about what we need to do in order to live that powerful life.

But knowing what not to do or what to avoid is just as important. Wouldn't be helpful to know the things that God has said should never be part of our life? Of course it would!

That's why I put together this short video. In it you will learn about 7 things that the Bible says should never be part of our lives and to avoid them at all cost.

Check out this video to find out what those 7 things are!

Do You Have The Credibility For Sharing Jesus?

Photo by Frans Hulet on Unsplash

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.

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

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!

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

4 Activities For Experiencing God's Peace

Don’t allow worry and anxiety keep up from enjoying the life that Christ has for you or from joining Christ on His mission. Here are 4 Biblical activities that you can implement into your normal daily life that will disrobe the worry that haunts you.

For More Extensive Information On Living A Life Free From Worry

CLICK HERE!

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.

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.

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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

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LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY

WORRY THE DEBILITATING FACTOR FOR MISSIONAL LIVING

Photo by Fernando @cferdo on Unsplash

Christians all over the world experience unnecessary worry! They worry about health, they worry about finances, they worry about their children, they worry about being obedient to God, and the list could go on and on about the things that Christians worry about!

But for Christians who sincerely want to join Christ on His Great Commission, worry isn't only unnecessary but it is also debilitating! Why is i debilitating? Because is paralyzes you from doing the things that you really want to do or the things that you know you should do. I know of a person who decided not to graduate from college once they learned that they would required to take a speech class. You see they were worry and fearful over speaking in public and that worry crippled them from finishing school.

What's a follower of Christ to do? After all, isn't worry just a natural part of life, including a Christian's? Isn’t just something we need to accept as part of our life? Or, is it? Does God really want us to just deal with the fact that worry is a part of our life or is it part of God’s plan for you to live a worry free life now that you’ve come to faith in Jesus Christ?

I BELIEVE A WORRY FREE LIFE IS WHAT GOD’S WILL IS FOR OUR LIVES!

In the book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY you will discover that worry isn't part of God's plan for His children and it will serve as your guide on how you can rid your life of it forever. Before I tell you what you will learn from this book, let me first tell you what this book is not!

• First, this is not a book containing five easy steps to a more fulfilling and peaceful life.

• Second, this book isn't a watered down Christian self-help book that contains a bunch of fluff with no real spiritual substance or meat.

• Third, this book not a “Name It & Claim It” book. On the contrary, the pages contained in this book are going to challenge you beyond your level of comfort!

As matter of fact, as you read this book you may begin to wonder if you really want to live that worry free life! The Biblical principles that you will learn will sound totally counter intuitive to all that you have come to know about living a life without worry. You will learn that a life without worry is a life of denial; You will learn that obtaining that life will require you to die to yourself and take up your cross daily and follow Christ. It is a life of total submission in mind, heart, and will to the will of the resurrected Jesus.

This book will provoke you! I am not writing this book as a comfort to you but more to challenge you! I want to provoke you to rethink why you’re worried, why you allow those worries to paralyze you from joining Christ on His mission, and why God still has you in this world.

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY will teach you six Biblical principles and five Biblical practices for living a life free of worry. These principles are taken from a famous quote from the great missionary, Hudson Taylor and exemplified through his life of service.

So, with this warning clearly given, read at your own risk!

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LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRK