Encouraging, Empowering & Equipping Ordinary Christians To Live Powerful Missional Lives!
Photo by Mercedes Bosquet on Unsplash
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.
Now that we know how chapter seven of Romans ended, which reveals the most powerful dilemma that all Christians have to face, we can now move onto chapter eight which gives us God’s way to deal with that dilemma once and for all.
But before we do that we should remind ourselves exactly what hat dilemma is. It’s the dilemma of wanting to live for Christ but unable to do so because of the power of sin still has control over us. We want to do what God wants but we find ourselves doing sinful things. We hate the sinful things that we do but still we are attracted to it and fall prey to their temptation.
But chapter eight is all about good news, hope and faith that God is not only able to deliver us but has already established the way to that victory over sin.
And in doing so Romans 8 starts off with one major liberating declaration. Let’s read for ourselves what that liberating declaration is.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
I love the way the Apostle Paul put it, “… now no condemnation…”. The truth is that we all live in the here and now but before we can get to the “NOW” we first had to go through the “BEFORE”.
The life we now have in Christ does not consist of any condemnation from God. For God’s people we now live a condemnation free life. But the life we had before was filled with God’s condemnation. All of us, right down to last one of us, was a condemned sinner to hell.
But we really need understand how condemned we truly were? By developing a thorough understanding of the depths of our former condemnation we will gain a greater appreciation for the amazing declaration we now have of:
“So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteious act there is justification leading to life for everyone. For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:18,19
We are condemned because the human race (Adam’s seed) has been condemned. Adam and Eve is the beginning point of the entire human race and through Adam’s sin everyone is condemned.
Now I know what some of you are thinking! You’re thinking, “That Doesn’t Sound Fair”. You’re thinking that it isn’t fair that you should suffer because of something your relative did way back before you were ever born. Now that would be a great subject to study but not now because there isn’t enough time. But for now let me say that our condemnation isn’t just because Adam was our relative. We are also condemned:
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
To an even greater degree condemnation has come to all of us because each of us joined in on the sinning. I can’t blame my parents, my siblings or my friends. I am a sinner because I chose to sin. I chose to hate, I chose to lie, I chose to lust. These are my sins and no one else is to blame for them.
But then there’s a third level of condemnation that only some will experience. But it is a condemnation that is of an even greater intensity than either level one or level two combined. But is that level?
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.” John 3:17-18
Here’s the point to get from this passage. Those people who have had the privilege of hearing the wonderful and amazing gospel message and rejected are also condemned. However, in the book of Hebrews there is some indication that their condemnation might be more severe than others who have never heard the gospel.
Here’s the truth about your life before you knew Jesus as your Lord and savior:
But now that you know Jesus God the Father has a new pronouncement:
God is no longer condemning you and he is not even look for a reason to condemn you. In the eyes of the Heavenly Court with God the Father as the Righteous Judge you have been declared free!
Before you came to Christ you were sinking and drowning in a sea of sin and you were helpless and hopeless to do anything about it. You had been condemned to hell and you were just waiting for the Last Day, the Day of Judgement when that sentence of condemnation would be executed. But then something amazing happened. God the Father stood up in the Heavenly courtroom and declared:
The Why? and How? We will learn as we go through this chapter. But for now just marvel in amazement that God has declared you no longer condemned.
“Therefore everyone who hear these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ‘And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ‘Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ‘The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell and great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24-27 (NAS)
Isn’t it interesting to note that both men had built a house and both men built their house on top of something. One was a rock and the other was sand. As it is true in building a house so it is also true in building your life - it will be built upon something. There is some kind of foundation upon which your life will be built upon. But the choice of what foundation you use to build your life is of the utmost importance. Why?
When it come to survival or destruction of your life the foundation upon which you build your life is the one and only determining factor. And because it is the one and only factor it becomes an essential factor. A person can’t go cheap on laying that firm foundation. A person cain’t afford to use inferior material in laying a foundation. And absolutely a person can’t even consider not laying a foundation.
As we already discussed in the previous post storms of life are going to happen. It’s not a matter of “if” they happen but just a matter of “when” they’ll happen. We have no control over whether or not trails, tribulations or persecution happen in our life. The truth of scripture is clear - they will happen. In addition, we also have no control over the intensity of the storms when they do arrive. It could be a mild storm or it could be a potentially devastating storm. We have no control over it. So in light of these truths the only sensible and prudent thing to do is to make sure you lay a firm foundation upon which to build your life.
It would be easy if there was only one option available to us for the foundation we use from which to build our life. But that’s not the case! In this story Jesus makes it clear you do have options. You can chose to use the options the world avails you (that’s the sand) or you can use the option that Jesus recommends (that’s the rock). The choice is yours but you need to choose wisely! Why?
Because the foundation is so essential you need to make sure you spare no expense, cut no corners and don’t be lazy in your efforts to the laying of that firm, solid and massive rock like foundation.
So as you begin to lay the foundation for you life be careful, give it your full attention and we wise. The foundation you choose will be the determining factor of whether your life is destroyed or stays strong after you go through the intense storms of life.
If you have not already read the first two blogs in this series you can hit the links below to check them out.
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.
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!
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?
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.”
· 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:
They make their own plans about tomorrow: “Today or tomorrow we will go …”
They plan on arriving at a particular destination: “… we will go to such and such a city …”
They plan to spend a specific amount of time there: “… and spend a year there …”
They intend to engage in a specific plan of action: “… and engage in business …”
They intend to experience some specific results: “… and make a profit.”
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?
“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring …” (v. 14a)
“… what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.” (v. 14b)
“Instead, you should say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that …”
“Men make their plans but God directs their paths.”
Proverbs 16:9
“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.
This is a perfect example of God’s people making their plans but allowing God to direct their paths.
“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.
“… 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.
“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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
6 Biblical principles
and 5 Biblical practices that will lead you into a life without worry.
Curtis Sergeant
I pretty excited to share that my new book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY has received a powerful recommendation/review from Curtis Sergeant.
Here's little bit about Curtis which will explain why I am so honored to have his recommendation.
Curtis has served our Lord in some very powerful positions. Here are a few:
He is the founder and lead trainer for MetaCamp. A group to train people to live out powerful missional lives.
He has served with E3 Partners as Director of Global Strategies and Vice President. E3 Partners is a mission agency intended to ignite church planting movements all over the world.
Director Of Church Planting at Saddleback Community Church.
Served with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in the following positions: Associate Vice President For Global Strategy; Strategy Associate For East Asia; Global Strategy Coordinator & Church Planting Trainer; and Strategy Coordinator.
This guy has served our Lord faithfully for the purpose of saturating our world with the Gospel of Jesus.
Here's what he has to say about LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY:
"Jay's book follows a similar pattern to many of Paul's epistles, with the first half consisting of theology and principles and the second half being practical application. The second half is culture-specific. The first half is universal in application. The first half is timely and much-needed in our day. It provides a critically important perspective which has come to be alarmingly rare in recent years. Its message is simple but not easy. It directly confronts the idolatry of comfort and convenience in current expressions of Christianity. It challenges us to live the abundant lives the Lord intends for us to live, the life of a disciple, the life of a servant rather than one who is to be served. It is worth reading for one's own growth and passing on to the disciples we are making. I recommend it." ~ Curtis Sergeant
It is my sincerest desire that this book helps God's people to shed the worry that plagues them to join Him on his mission of making disciples of the whole world.
If you are a Follower of Christ and worry holds you back from joining Christ on His mission or holds you back from doing anything that you know God wants you to do, then it’s time to get rid of that worry and begin to live a worry free life. GET YOUR COPY OF THIS POWERFUL BOOK TODAY & LEARN HOW!
Please feel free to share this message with you friends on Facebook & Twitter.
Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash
"My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:1-13
More often than not our motivation of showing preferential treatment for one person over another person is simply for personal gain. We exalt one person and belittle another because the one we are exalting we feel can help us in some way. THIS IS A WRONG MOTIVE IN ALL THINGS BUT ESPECIALLY FOR MISSIONAL LIVING!
Did you catch this point in the Bible verse above? God has chosen the poor, the outcast, or the lonely to bless them! We we choose to exclude them or down play their participation we are dishonoring them and thereby dishonoring God.
James, the writer of this book, doesn't hesitate in the least to call the attitude of personal favoritism SIN! When you value one person above another; when you minister to one person above another IT IS A SIN!
This Bible verse is very clear what a person who shows personal favoritism, especially in the church and in missional living deserves! They deserved to be judged without shown mercy.
NOW THAT'S WHAT IS DESERVED BUT NOT NECESSARILY WHAT THEY'LL GET!
The Bible also says in 1 John 1:9,
"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
When it comes to living a powerful Missional Life there is absolutely no room for personal favoritism. Just like the picture above says we need to be going out and sharing the Gospel with those that others have given up on! Other people may have given up on them but God still loves them and Christ still died for them.
One last thought to remember! The truth is that we all were once people that have been given up on. If it wasn't for Christ's death, burial and resurrection none of us would be saved from our sins. But praise be to God our Father that He does love us and through Christ provided away for our sins to be removed.
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.
How you deal with failure will have a lot to do with how well you join Christ on His mission! Watch this video and be encouraged!
" Yes, He (God) has humbled me and shown me what I am, revealing Himself as a present, a very present help in times of trouble. And though He does not deprive me of feeling in my trial, He enables me to sing, 'Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation ... Now I am happy in my Saviour's love. I can thank Him for all, even the most painful experiences of the past, and trust Him without fear for all that is to come." Hudson Taylor
In this video I am going to share 3 things you can expect from God when you decided to join Him on His mission! They are taken from the above quote of Hudson Taylor and is verified with scripture. THEY WILL BE CHALLENGING TO HEAR AND ACCEPT! But they will also, once made part of your life, prepare you for whatever assignment the Lord sees fit to give you as part of His mission.
Watch this video and learn why you should buy this powerful book on missional living! The book is called, THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: A Journey Into Missional Living.
For a limited time the Kindle version of this book is on sale for only .99 cents! That right, .99 cents!
For less than one dollar or the cup of coffee you can down load the kindle version of this book.
Watch this video to find out what you will get for your .99 cents if you decide to buy it.
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.
Does the Bible give us an example for using civil disobedience as a way to bring glory to God and live a powerful missional life? If so, does the Bible shed light on "When" and "How" to use it properly?
Watch this video as I share a true story from the Bible and whats answers we can glean from it for these questions.
Biblical Case Study For Civil Disobedience In Missional Living
A little over a week ago I was at a meeting that my local Baptist association was holding. I was enjoying fellowshipping with others who are in the spiritual trenches fighting the good fight in sharing the Gospel of Jesus with others who still need to hear.
As I was fellowshipping and sharing I was also listening to other conversations, a pastime I enjoy doing, when I heard a comment from a pastor sharing how one of his church members was not able to share Jesus at his work because it was in a public workplace and he would lose his job (i.e. school, courthouse, etc.).
Now, I’ve heard this kind of comment before and it’s never really settled too well with me, but this time it really bothered me. I’m not sure why, but it did. I thought about it all week long. It was just simmering there – not a hot and boiling frustration just a niggling frustration that wouldn’t go away. It also got me thinking about when should we as Christians exercise civil disobedience. When is it appropriate for Christians to stand up against the judges, the courts and the social order of the day and say, “No, I will not obey”?
I was reading through the Book of Daniel when something really began to stick out to me from two different narratives in Daniel. Both of the narratives deal with not compromising; one by doing something you know you are not supposed to do, and the other by not doing what you know you are supposed to do.
The first narrative involves Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The King built a huge golden statue and commanded everyone to bow down and worship it or be thrown into the fiery furnace. We all know the story. They chose not to obey and as a result were thrown into the furnace. They chose to obey God and not do what they were supposed to do by law and they were saved! HOW COOL IS THAT?!
The second narrative involves Daniel himself. This time the King was tricked into making a decree allowing no one to pray during a certain period of days except to the god of the king punishable by being thrown into the lion’s den. Again, we know this story and how Daniel not only did pray to the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but he also did it with the windows wide open in full view of everyone. He didn’t choose to pray in secret behind some closed doors. He didn’t make it a private matter. No, he openly and publically chose to disobey the king’s decree. Why? Daniel was more willing to die in the lion’s den than he was to disgrace his God by choosing to be silent. Choosing to pray privately would have given the appearance of compliance to the decree and Daniel wanted there to be no doubt as to his allegiance to his God.
NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL MISSIONAL LIVING! That’s what it looks like to be totally sold out to God and His Son Jesus Christ!
I’m left wondering in today’s modern society where are our uncompromising Daniels? Where are the followers of Christ who refuse to compromise their faith, by curbing or curtailing their speech because a rule or law has been enacted by faithless people? Where are those Christians who are willing to openly share Jesus without apology even if it means they might lose their job? Where are those men and women of God who are willing to stare into the fiery furnace, hot and blazing, and say to the King (president, judge, or even the Supreme Court),
Let it be known that we are more than confident that our God is able to save us from the punishment you have pronounced upon us but also know this, even if God chooses not to deliver us we will not compromise!
Where are you, people of God? Child of God – why do you need permission from men to do what God has already commanded you to do? When are you going to stop buckling under the tyranny of people who only wish to silence you?
Let us use Daniel and his three companions as our example of how to stand up to a society that is Godless! Remember this Daniel could never have been delivered from the lion’s den unless he was first thrown into the lion’s den. His three companions could never have been delivered from the fiery furnace unless they were first thrown into it. You will never experience God’s power to deliver you unless you are willing to place yourself in a position that needs His deliverance. So, when is it appropriate to exercise civil disobedience? When society and the laws of the land tell you that you must to do something that God has clearly said you cannot do or when you are told by government you cannot do something that God has already commanded you to do. Obey God – not men!
Have you ever wondered what you can do to shine the Light of Christ brightly through missional living? After all not everyone is able to physically go door to door evangelizing! Right? Well here is one activity that all Disciples of Christ can do in living a missional life! Watch this short video and begin to put it into practice and thereby allowing the Light of Christ to shine brightly in your part of this dark world and all over the world as well!
Listen to what it was that caught the attention of the Apostle Paul and others around the known world at that time that caused him to thank God for them every time he thought of them. These two things were the characteristics that built a powerful missional living reputation for that church.
Do you have those characteristics? Watch and find out.
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