Encouraging, Empowering & Equipping Ordinary Christians To Live Powerful Missional Lives!
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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.
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?
"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.
"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.
“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.
“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!
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?
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.
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.
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:
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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.
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.
“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.
“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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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.
"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!
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
In Luke 10:2 Jesus tells us that the spiritual harvest fields are ready to be harvested but there's one big problem to accomplishing that task! That problem is that there's just not enough workers to go out and harvest the fields. But then Jesus gives us the solution to our problem
Watch this video of how some Followers of Christ in Tucson, Arizona are implementing Christ's solution.
Are you ready to go start a monthly LUKE 10:2 PRAYER MEETING in your community? Can you pray for God to raise up, train up and unleash more laborers into the harvest fields?
Disciples are made, not just born again! Now that’s an interesting statement and one that really needs to be looked at closely. At one angle the statement seems completely contrary to what we know about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “… you must be born again …”? Of course He did! And what Jesus says is absolute truth! So, then the statement “Disciples Are Made - Not Just Born Again” is false! Or is it?
Didn’t Jesus also say in Matthew 28:18-20 as part of the Great Commission to, “… Go and make disciples …”? Notice the emphasis I am placing on the word, “MAKE”. Again, of course He did! And also, once again, what Jesus says is absolutely truth!
How then do we look at the original statement, “Disciples Are Made - Not Just Born Again”? Simply by just saying that it is true and must be accepted!
The real question then deals with how to understand and harmonize both parts of the statement so that it can guide us into complete obedience to Christ and His mission.
First, let’s take a closer look at what Jesus says about being born again. The statement is found in Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus in the Gospel of John 3:1-21. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to talk with Jesus and get more information from Jesus about the things of God. Nicodemus starts off his discourse with a statement he believed to be true about Jesus. He says,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God was with him.” (v.2)
Jesus then jumps right in there with this teaching about the need to be born again and how that experience is the entrance into being part of the kingdom of God. The born again experience is the essential step that every person must take if they are going to enter into the Kingdom of God. Without taking that step one cannot enter.
After some questioning and answering back and forth by Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus finally explains that the way one experiences this born again experience is through believing in Him, the Son of God. This is the place where we read one of the most memorized scriptures in the Bible,
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever, believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
But in Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus wasn’t talking about the born again experience! He wasn’t talking about the initial step that brings them into the Kingdom of God. No. Jesus was giving His final words of instructions before He leaves this world and goes back to Heaven to wait for the time of His return. Jesus is talking about the final product that is to be produced in those who come to faith in Him.
Jesus was teaching Nicodemus how to get started but Jesus was instructing His apostles about what the final outcome would be for those who come and receive that born again experience. The verses in John 3 talk about the beginnings the verses in Matthew 28 talk about the goal.
The born again experience is the first step in the disciple making process but it is also not the final step. The goal of Jesus is to make him more and more disciples - not just more and more people being born again. While it is very true one cannot become a disciple of Jesus unless they are born again, it is also true that one cannot be a fully devoted follower of Christ by just being born again.
If we are striving to be fully devoted followers of Christ are going to be obedient we must share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost so they can hear and believe in Jesus and thereby receive that born again experience. But we must also recognize that that there is still much more to do if we are going to be obedient to Christ command and commission in Matthew 28. We must baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and we must teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded.
Did you know that this year, 2018, the world will be celebrating both April Fools Day and The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (Easter)! That's right they both fall on the same day this year.
The irony of these two events falling on the same date cannot be overstated! On the one hand you have a world that says death cannot be cheated, cannot be avoided and is final. While on the other hand you have the Christians Biblical belief that Jesus Christ did die on the cross, was buried in a tomb and on the third day came back to life again. April 1, 2018 is a date where these two completely world views will collide and are in total opposition to each other.
One world view says that to be raised from the dead, after being dead for three days, is totally impossible, while the other says it is not only possible but actually did happen and has tremendous ramifications for all the rest of us who have ever been born throughout world history.
The world believes it is totally impossible because that's all the world has ever known. Every single person who has ever lived has died and every single person who has died for 3 days or longer has stayed dead, accept for those crazy claims of the Bible of Jesus and those he supposedly raised from the dead. All of life's experiences demands, for those in the world, that the claims of Christ's resurrection is a fairy tale and cannot be trusted. They believe that Christians hold to a "Blind Faith" which is unreason or irrational.
But for those of us who are Followers of Christ and do believe in Christ's Resurrection from the dead our faith is far from that "Blind Faith"! No! Instead, it is a faith based upon "Evidence Beyond Reasonable Doubt".
Yes, the belief in Jesus death, burial and resurrection is based upon eye witness evidence that's reasonable. There are people, who lived during the time of Christ's resurrection, who have claim and gone on record to have seen Jesus after his crucification alive and well. They made it very clear their experience wasn't some kind of hallucination. They claimed to have walked with him, talked him, ate with him and touched him. They claimed it to be a life altering experience that took them from fear, including the fear of death, to a life filled with boldness regardless of the life circumstance that was confronting them.
Who were these eye witness? The Bible clearly shares the identity of those eye witnesses. They weren't trying to stay in the shadows. They were open and upfront for everyone to hear. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 reveals who they are:
"3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, [b]and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
Who were these eye witnesses?
First, there is the 500 who saw him! He doesn't specifically list their names because there are just to many to list. But he does say that most were still alive to the very date of the writing. Why indicate that most were still alive? Because, Paul was challenging them to go to Palestine and check it out for themselves. They could go around and ask if anyone had seen Christ resurrected and the chances were that they'd still find many who would say, "I did"!
But among those 500 we know that they would have included the women who gone to the tomb and found it empty and then saw Jesus alive. In Luke 24:10 we read,
"Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, .."
Here we see 3 specific names of women identified who saw the resurrection of Christ. They were Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James but there were also other women there as well.
Second, Jesus showed himself to the apostles and James, Jesus' half brother. Many in the world believe that the Apostle would have lied about Jesus resurrection. They believe that the apostles knew that Jesus was dead but wanted to keep the movement alive and therefore fabricated the story of His resurrection.
But is that really logical. Would someone really lie about something they knew to be a lie? Yes, if they had something to gain like: power, prestige or money. But the apostle got none of those things. As a matter of fact they lived like poor people and eventually were beaten and killed for their testimony of seeing Jesus alive. They gained nothing if it was a lie.
Surely at least one of them upon the sentence of death would have recanted their testimony if it had been a lie! But not one ever recanted or changed their story but instead every apostle lived and died in the most horrible way because of their refusal to recant their story. They were to die for their testimony of Christ's resurrection. Why would anybody do that unless they knew it to be the truth!
Next, there was the eye witness account of the Apostle Paul. Paul wasn't part of the original apostles as a matter of fact he was a Christian hater who wanted nothing more than to arrest and kill all who claimed to be a Follower of Christ and testified of His resurrection. For awhile there, that was his total life's mission.
But something happened that changed Paul! He went from being a Christian hater and killer to the greatest Christian missionary ever! He ended up with a new life's mission! Instead of putting Christians into prison, he made it his life's ambition to make as many people Christians as possible by believing in Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
What made the change? How did Paul go from being a Christian hater to a Christian maker? Paul's very own testimony gives us the answer. We find Paul's answer in Acts 26 where he states clearly why he is now a follower of Christ. He says it is because while on the road to Damascus that Jesus appeared to him and spoke to him. It was the resurrected Jesus speaking to him that changed him. That was his life changing experience.
Now as I contemplate these eye witnesses I am forced to evaluate how credible they are about what they confess. And I have come to the following conclusion! They are ALL extremely reliable! Why:
Yes, this Sunday, April 1st, 2018 is both the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ (Easter) and April Fools Day. But don't be the fool by believing that Jesus is still dead. He's not! He's Alive! And by placing your faith in the resurrect Jesus you can be saved from your sins and receive the gift of eternal life. Will you do it today?
When God is ready to do something new, when He is ready to move His mission into a new territory or when God begins to expand his mission to into areas uncharted, He first has to prepare a person to go and do His will! Understand this: God's plan for expanding His mission is always through His people. We who know Christ have been commissioned as His ambassadors to this lost world. So, when God want to do something new in accomplishing His mission he will first prepare one or more of His ambassadors to go.
In Acts chapter 10 we read of such a preparation when God was wanting to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. He first had to prepare his ambassador, Peter, and then commissioned him to share the message of reconciliation to them. Let's read what Acts 10:9-23 to see what we can learn:
"About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' Surely not, Lord!' Peter replied. 'I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.' The voice spoke to him a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon' house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simone, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.' Peter went down and said to the men, 'I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?' The men replied, 'We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.' Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along." (NIV)
When I begin to contemplate this story of Peter's life I see four important things that will help us to be ready to move with God into a new mission field that He wants us to go into. They are:
Isn't it interesting that Peter had been in a time of intense prayer just prior to God calling him into a new mission territory? He had been praying so hard and long that he became hungry. I have often found that during my times of intense prayer I also have become hungry. Prayer isn't a passive activity that requires no energy. On the contrary, prayer can be a very exhausting activity that can cause a person to feel physically tired as well as spiritually and emotionally tired.
Prayer prepares the Christ's Ambassador to be open and receptive to what God wants to share with them. Prayer removes the spiritual blinders and chains that can hold us back from joining God where He is moving.
We find in Acts 13 that while some of the prophets and teachers at the church in Antioch were in a time of intense worship, fasting and prayer that God called for Barnabas and Saul to be set apart for the work that he was calling them into. This was to be the beginning of the 3 missionary journey's of Paul. And it was during a time of prayer, worship and fasting that God called for his servants to be set apart.
When people share with me that they never sense God's call to be used, I often wonder how intentional they are in prayer and how submissive are they in their prayers. For if we are praying and have a submissive heart that says, "where ever you lead I'll go" I am confident that God will employ that servant into His service.
How intentional and consistent are you being in your prayer life? How submissive are you being as you pray? Are you trying to tell God what you want and need for him to do? Or, are you asking God what He wants to be done? Yes, we are to pray for God to meet our needs but, as we learn from Jesus' example, we should be in the attitude that says, "Not my will - but thy will be done!"
Next we see God beginning to speak to Peter while he was in a trance. This experience wasn't confusing to Peter. It was like normal dream people have while they are asleep. This was different. This was a God encounter and Peter recognized it as such. Peter wasn't confused about if it was God speaking to him - Peter knew it was God speaking to Him.
You see when God speaks, God makes it clear it is Him who is speaking. When you look in the Bible to those whom God spoke to, you never find a person wondering if it was God speaking to Him or not. No! they knew it was God and more importantly they knew exactly what God was telling them.
God doesn't want His people confused about if it is really Him talking to them! God wants us to know for certain that He is the one talking to us and for us to know clearly what He is saying. If there is ever a time when we are unsure if what we are sensing is of God or not we have a wonderful promise in the Bible found in James 1:5,
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Than man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
What a beautiful and reassuring promise! If you are uncertain that what you are sensing needs to happen or if it is from God or not, just ask him to confirm it to you and he promises he will. All we have to do is "Ask & Believe".
Have you come to the place in your relationship with Christ that you can recognize the voice of God and discern what He is telling you? Being able to recognize God's voice and understanding what He is saying is ESSENTIAL for joining God in those new mission fields where He is moving. Why should God call you to join Him if you're unable to discern when He is talking to you and what He is saying?
Moving into a new mission territories most likely will stretch you greatly in your comfort and your values.
Before this encounter with God Peter was both uncomfortable at the thought of going into the home of a gentile. It was against every value he had been brought up to believe. It was against the establish religious convictions that he had been brought up with. There was no way he would go into the house of a gentile unless God had first prepared him. And that's exactly what God did.
Peter wasn't convinced on the first God encounter or even the second God encounter. It took three different encounters with God and hearing the same message from God before Peter understood that God was serious about what he was saying and before God could send him with those men to go into the house of a gentile. If God hadn't taken the time to prepare Peter, Peter probably never would have accepted their invitation to come.
Are you being challenged about what will be required to join God in the new mission field that you sense He is leading you into? Are some of your church traditions, values and perspectives being called into question and you're not sure how to respond. Then good, because God is shaping you and fashioning you into the kind of servant that will follow Him where ever He leads.
Is Peter unique? Or, are we a lot like Peter? I think that we, like Peter, also need to have those God encounters that prepare us to go and join Him in those new mission fields! To be willing to leave the comforts of what is familiar and the treasured established relationships and to go to a place that is unknown has to have a God preparation take place. That doesn't mean it is going to be instant preparation or even an easy transition. It just means it is necessary to happen.
It wasn't instant or even pleasant for Jonah to be prepared and willing to go on his mission assignment! He had to be swallowed by a whale! How quick and how easy that transition to following God depends on how submissive the one being called is. Our openness to moving in a new direction will depend on how much our will has been broken, so that only God's will is left.
How open are you to joining God in the new mission fields He is opening up? How much of your own will have you crucified on the cross and how much of God's will is directing you? These are the question that only you can answer for yourself! No one can answer then for you.
Do you know what they are? No! Then watch this training and start working in the fields God has assigned you!
In todays training we are going to look at the 4 places that define your mission field. This is going to answer the question "Who Am I Responsible For In Sharing The Gospel?" By answer this question you will know where to begin to share the Gospel of Christ and where to begin in making disciples for Christ.
When planning to use social media to help share Jesus with others and declare God's Glory then there needs to be some serious consideration given to the kinds of posts that you should make. In this video I am going to share with you 3 kinds of post that will help you make most of Christ in your part of this dark world. This is part two in a series called: HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF CHRIST! To see Part 1 CLICK HERE!
Social Media is a major part of the our lives! We use it everyday. We stay connected with people through it. Therefore, it has become a major tool that needs to be used wisely to shine the Light of Christ brightly in our part of this dark world.
I am going to do a series of posts to help Followers of Christ use social media wisely and Biblically in order to share Christ to a world that desperately needs him. Check out this first video and see what you think.
In this video you will get to hear Steve Addison interview Daniel Reece on how God reached out to him and then has been using him to ignite a powerful movement here in North America. WATCH & BE ENCOURAGED!
In today's post I want to share with you about our credibility for living a missional life. How will people know that what we are sharing about Jesus, about the Gospel or the forgiveness of sin is accurate and true? The answer comes back to our credibility! Are we credible? Can people believe us? Watch this video and see what God is telling you!
If you are going to have a powerful missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ in your part of this dark world then you will need to have confidence in your prayer life! You will need to have confidence that God hears and will answer your prayers!
In this video I am going to share with you one Biblical way you can have that confidence.
Lessons for living a powerful missional life can be discovered from many different areas of life, including track and field. The Fosbury Flop was an innovative change to performing the high jump. Watch this video and discover a powerful lessons on shining the Light of Christ brightly in your part of this dark world!
We believe that ordinary christians are God primary choice for doing His extraordinary work. Throughout scripture we see God choosing to use everyday people to join Him on His mission of raising up, training up and unleashing them to become rapidly reproducing disciple makers. The Ordinary Christians intends to join God in that pursuit.
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