In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus Give me Jesus, give me Jesus You can have all this world But give me Jesus And when I am alone Oh and when I am alone And when I am alone Give me Jesus Give me Jesus, give me Jesus You can have all this world But give me Jesus And when I come to die Oh and when I come to die And when I come to die Give me Jesus Give me Jesus, give me Jesus You can have all this world You can have all this world You can have all this world But give me Jesus ~ by Fernando Ortega
"From the mess into God's rest. Yes, from pressed to blessed! Prayer with praise.. through Jesus that's the bridge over." ~ kVs
"So let us do our best to enter that rest." Hebrews 4:11a
“Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. If you’ve taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer.. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road.. Sure! You will certainly carry out God’s purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John." ~ C.S. Lewis
Do you doubt that there is a good plan that even includes you where you are?.. and that you are loved far more than words in your own language can even describe? Choose to turn from worldly unbelief and head-out in the right direction. It’s not too late to get the doubt ..out. Don't run from who you really are.. from who you were actually born to be. Be and bring your friends with ..so they can be set free!
“Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. If you’ve taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer.. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road.. Sure! You will certainly carry out God’s purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John." ~ C.S. Lewis
Ever been so discouraged inside that you wanted to bail out (..the following are some words I today GMO responded with to a believing dude in the North that I recently met, but perhaps these words will edify you as well)? When reading through the four Gospel accounts.. it would appear that some of Christ's disciples got that way. They even tried to bail out; to go back to their fishing for mere fish for food and perhaps career seaside sales ..instead of goin' fishing with selfless prayers, the truth of the Scriptures, and some good bait if ya will ..to catch lost people who might not have even given it a thought that they we're actually hell-bound in the worst direction ever. Somethin' serious needed to be done; to be said.. just like it is today. So many around us not even knowing what all those laws of God they broke by commition and omition--knowingly or unknowingly.. will even mean for em personally.
This was back in the day after the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for our willful independence--sins. The disciples were feelin' O so SO down after losing their good friend.. who was and is still alive.
But it wasn't for long.. their fishing trip.. cuz God had a much better plan for each of them.
And God has a good plan for each of us too. Better things are ahead. He loves you!
Q: "So, what is fishing for souls in a Christian sense.. I mean friendship evangelism?" A: Friendship evangelism in the Christian sense ..as a method of bringin' people to faith in Christ, yes sharing His Gospel has several meanings and connotations to different people. Some people believe that friendship evangelism requires Christians to become close close friends with unbelievers who love to keep sinning, or to establishing a relationship before attempting to address their need for a Savior. It can happen the first day you meet. Some see friendship evangelism as living a solid, spiritually well, righteous life—as a living testimony for Christ—before the eyes and away from the eyes of others so that they will soon desire that same kind of life and even ask how to earn or achieve it. Can't be earned. This eternal life is free. But some think.. at that point, the Gospel is shared. Still others believe that living a righteous life in this corrupt world is evangelism enough and that no further efforts are even necessary. The theory is that unbelievers will be so convicted of their sin and need for that kind of life that they will seek God on their own. Can we help them seek? What does the Bible say about friendship evangelism?
Each of the three above-named methods of friendship evangelism might falls far short of the biblical method of loving evangelism. The first method, becoming friends with unbelievers in order to gain enough credibility so they will listen to the Gospel, fails to recognize several important biblical truths. We can build that bridge of credibility, but so many who do never get the gospel across that bridge and their friend.. sadly dies. For one thing, believers are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers as close close friends or boyfriend girlfriend in many cases (2 Corinthians 6: 14–17). We indeed can be friends with sinners. Someone befriended us as sinners ..right? The essence of friendship is mutual respect and affection... based on agreement on basic life principles. But can a believer really have such a close relationship with an unbeliever? In light of James 4:4 and Ephesians 5:11, such a relationship is not biblical. The unsaved person is part of the world, unregenerate.. this world-system which hates God, Bible truth, and the people of God. So how can such a person in the Kingdom of God and of light have affection and respect for believers loving their sin, who are part of the other inferior kingdom of darkness? We can show them respect cuz they were made in God's image and have great value to Him. Are we to be friendly towards unbelievers? Absolutely! Jesus was called the friend of sinners. Are we to have intimate close close relationships with unbelievers? Biblically speaking, no. Why be pulled downwards spiritually by sinners serving another god, or by the carnal and worldly Christians for that matter? It's not worth it--we love Jesus more than any of them.
Furthermore, neither Jesus nor the disciples practiced this type of friendship evangelism really. Jesus stayed biblical in love. He didn’t limit His Gospel presentations to His friends and relations but He preached to complete strangers the Message of repentance and faith.. yes, the Message 'bout the bad news and the Good News regarding sin, it's consequences, and God's salvation through Him alone. He sent His disciples out two by two, and they “preached that people should repent” (Mark 6: 12). If people refused to listen to them, Jesus instructed them to “shake the dust” off their feet and move on to the next town. He never encouraged them to settle down for a few months and develop close close friendships with those who rejected His Message. Nor did He tell them to avoid quoting Scriptures so that their hearers wouldn’t be offended or turned off to the Gospel. He knew that the “Message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18) and that most people will reject that great Message, no matter how friendly the manner in which it is presented. Christ was rejected by the world, and He told us to expect the same reaction (John 15:18–20). Many preachers (false teachers even visiting some Christian churches) today won't tell you that Christians will suffer. They falsely say we'll all get rich by faith if we give to their ministry even by going into debt with their credit cards.
What about the method of “evangelizing” through our living testimony? There is no doubt that we are to live righteous lives before the watching unholy world, and there certainly is power in the testimony of a life transformed by Christ. Holy is happy and prayerfully in Christ.. will be powerful in good influence for God's glory. A classic example of this stuff is Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1–42). Jesus was able to tell her everything about her life, including the sin she was living in now. Jesus, in His infallible way, gave her the Gospel, and, of course, she believed in Him. John 4:39 picks up the story: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers” (John 4:39–41).
Everyone in that town knew this woman and the sordid life she lived. What caused them to believe in Christ was not only her words about Jesus, but her transformed life. She was a living testimony to the power of the Gospel of Christ. So blessed and impactful was the change in her life that they knew something miraculous had happened, and they asked Jesus to remain with them, which He did for two days, preaching the same Gospel of repentance and faith. He also offered them the living water of eternal life through Him. “And many more believed because of his word” (John 4: 41). In this instance, both the preaching of the Word of God and the testimony of a life changed by that Word bore the fruit of repentance. I love it.
But was the woman’s changed life alone sufficient to bring others to the Savior? No, but it was the impetus for them to seek more information. Can we today expect that our lives will ..minus getting the truth of God's Gospel Message across ..be sufficient testimony to convince unbelievers of their need for Christ? The problem that arises in this third type of friendship evangelism is that too often the lives of Christians are not a good witness of the Lord and Savior that we profess to know and serve. We are forgiven, saved sinners and still blow it. Hopefully not as much as we used to blow it in the world. But too often those in this world sees in us more of a reflection of them than as a reflection of our holy perfect Savor who is Jesus Christ. To rely exclusively on the “living testimony” of redeemed sinners who, while saved by grace, still battle the bad influence of the world (and of course not all influences here are negative) to some extent and of their old fleshly nature on a daily basis—without the testimony of the truth of Scripture—is to handcuff ourselves in a way that the Bible never bids us to do. Not even the most well-lived life can compare with the power of the Word of God. Never forget that.. there is no spiritual rebirth or spiritual growth apart from the Word of God for any of us. The Bible says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4: 12). “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29).
I indeed what to be consistent in walking with Jesus. I want to think and act friendly towards sinners, but I also want to limit my time with the carnal or worldly Christians and with lost people. I want to spend time with them.. as long as I am influencing them in the right direction closer to Christ. And gracefully, tactfully get away or bail from those who start to influence me in a destructive direction. Lord, help all of us to avoid getting re-ensnared in the bondage of sin cuz what kind of witness would that be for You? Don't want to be a bad witness in a way that others can learn from me.. what never to do or become. In Jesus Name, please keep and use us. Amen.
Clearly, the biblical method of evangelism is the faithful proclamation of the truth of Scripture in conjunction with the living testimony of those who have been changed by that truth. When Jesus went about teaching the Gospel Message of salvation, He taught love and forgiveness, being kind and compassionate. But He went to sinners where they were hangin' out.. in order to help them with the truth.. to convict them of their sins that destroy. A case in point is the very Samaritan woman we’ve been talking about here. Remember... the very first word Jesus said when He began His ministry was “Repent!” It's still a good Bible term that we simply need to define.. turn away from all wrong doin's to Jesus Christ.
The Bible says, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near’” (Matthew 4: 17). How can any appriciate the Good News when they have never first heard the bad news. All have sinned.. and the wages of sin is death. We are commissioned to bring that same Message to the world for their benefit, speaking the truth in love from a heart that has been changed by the Savior. Go for it. Go for Him today.
I do pray that you draw closer and closer to your top BFF.. your very best Friend for time and eternity--Jesus--and have a really great day in fellowship with him. Ye, so much so that there is a blessing-overflow of sorts. facebook.com/shareJesus
Talk to God daily before talking to others. Talk with Him before getting with others. Listen to God and guess what.. others will listen to you. Talk, wait, hear, obey. Blessing!
Yep, it happens again in and from Anaheim (near Los Angeles) on August 28-30 and features performances by bands Third Day, Phil Wickham, Jeremy Camp and Lecrae, as well as a message of hope from @GregLaurie. Respond today. You can also have friends watch it and see em respond via the web in real time.
We triumph in righteousness here. We win people while here. No more Christian witnessing in heaven. Nada, null, over, zip, done. Simple as that. #LimitedTime See Rev. 21:6-8 in the Bible. "I know of no other way to triumph over sin long-term than to gain a distaste for it because of a superior satisfaction in God." ~ @JohnPiper
Have we not a cause? What's not to love about explainin' it well, 'bout writin' what's so, writin' what builds up instead of doin’ the opposite with pen, or tool and ink.. writin’ 'bout what has happened in your life, or in another's life.. writing it all down just right to help even one or perhaps many who really need to hear it. People need encouragement, sound inspiration, real love. They need to see it so clearly and to hear true stories. You go bro--let's do this.
You go girl, you can do this even better ..better than you already have done it. Explain away! I challenge you to.. for a Cause that is greater. Do it for Jesus Christ who loves and wants to use you for His glory.
“it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you..” 1/3lk.
“I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord.” 16/22rom.
Time uncovers dishonesty. Respect is earned with honesty. Trust can be quickly lost, but it is slowly gained (or regained) with integrity.. and loyalty is returned. Choose integrity even when it might hurt to live that way.
Do all things as in a l l ... with honesty and love for God and people. You won’t go wrong that way.
“Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.” Proverbs 19:1
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” Proverbs 11:3
“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.” Hebrews 13:18
Lands, whole cities and neighborhoods have become explosive. You've seen it. Sadly they're not calm, but many are the opposite of calm these days. But there’s hope and stuff to do cuz one day soon.. calm, safe, orderly, peaceful. Yup, no longer will your hood be like a powder-keg.
So lookin' forward to the Rapture, to seeing the King, and the Kingdom Age.
“The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb (the Prince of peace) shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face..” 22/2rev.bible Our U.S. neighborhoods have become real explosive. But soon.. in heaven and the millennium the neighborhood will turn into a real brotherhood.
Be a creative word artisan of sorts. Keep it simple. A speaker shapes his or her Message by the language, the timing, the tone, the tact, and the methods he or she uses. Because God is the upbeat Teacher who wants us to pass the test (I mean as in final judgment testing) He has given to us the questions way in advance. Study well, think and respond. Sure, He is so SO inclusive and for you! The Apostle Paul wanted prayer for the blessing of making the Gospel Message he wanted to get across.. that he desired to tell.. “manifest, as I ought to speak” he said. I like the NKJV best, but the NASB and NIV translations prefer the word clear or clearly. And Mr. F. F. Bruce translated this way: “that I may publish it openly in the words which I ought to speak.” I really like that: open, out in the open, openly.. as in open-air, or in big open hall, or from an open beach, city square, or open park. Why not.. in a non-pushy, condemnatory (new word) or in religious sorta way with religious attitudes. Who needs that? None. Open. It reminds me of when Jesus spoke from a boat to those on the land. The acoustics were wonderful. there I'm sure. But Paul also understood that it was SO easy to garble the Gospel. Dead Religion often does that. "What?.. so it's faith plus works gets me grace and right with God?" Nope! Plus nothin'! Paul wanted to word the Gospel Message very clearly so people would turn to Jesus, not so much to him. The word he used, phanerow, has the idea of “to make visible” and is from phainw which means “to manifest” or “to light up.” The job of the fisher of humans..the Gospel-teller is to shed light onto the truth of message for application's sake, to make it clear, not to obscure it. So how important is it to be directed by the Holy Spirit with the Bible to tell the Gospel clearly? Very important. We need to ponder, to muse over, to meditate upon, to pray about, to think about what is really at stake here. Only in the Gospel is there the “power of God to salvation” (Rom 1:16). Jesus Christ is God's only provision for us sinners wanting to address the sin issue. No wonder Paul uttered the term “anathema” for those who twist, who falsely, who misstate what should never be misstated. "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." ~ Ernest Hemingway Get real from the heart. Tell it in the best way, yes, what's really so. And it might be so SO old, true, but communicate real fresh, clear, and new.. in a completely unique way that won't mess it up. Do this so that they can't not pay attention to what you're sayin'. You want to plant seeds and reap. Lot's of stuff is helpful to hear these days, but tell em what they need to hear most--the Gospel. In fact, give em all the counsels of God when time allows. Tell it, what's really true, not partially true mixed with error. What you have to say from the Bible might be considered so SO old--too old. It ain't, but just communicate It fresh, clearly, new.. in a unique way so that they can't not pay attention to what you're sayin'. Lot's of stuff is helpful to hear, but tell em what they need to hear most. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 8:1 "But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, 'Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.' (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot.' Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, 'Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, 'Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: 'HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.'" Acts 8:26-32 "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9 "Declare His glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people." Psalms 96:3 "He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:48 "Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:14
If you're not wisely gathering unto Him.. if you’re not properly fishin’ for people, Christian, could it possibly be that you're not properly followin’ Christ ..who has called you? He's the same today and is about what He's always been about.
When the Church of Jesus Christ is known more for the things that we are against than for.. how is that a balanced witness?
When the Church of Jesus Christ is known more for all the secondary doctrines that we bicker n argue about than the unity in things we agree on as we spread His Gospel.. how is that a balanced witness?
If we're too busy hair-splitting in heated disagreements how will we have time left over to pray and fulfill the Great Commission?
Hey, if that born again believer or local church or organization can agree with the basic Essentials of our Historical Christian Faith. If we can simply agree that the blood of the Cross of Christ was enough, then I'm good with that (I'm fine with it). We can work together in spreading Christ's Gospel.
Too many so called Christians throughout history have become so distracted with too many secondary issues.. five points here, uber focus on the beast, the anti-Christ, tongues, other gifts and they waste their time squabbling and bickering over things we are not to divide over. But the lost of this world need to hear the Gospel from Christians who unify and love one another.. who love other sinners. It happened with this sinner--me. I was won to Christ by believers who could get along cuz they were in the Word and about His biz His way.
"How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting." Psalm 133 nlt
What can stay in the way, block, overcome, bind, impede, or hinder people long when my mighty Savior steps in as Lord? Let's #prA and mean it!
None like Him. All sin gets wiped away cuz of the sufficient blood of the Cross. Christ frees. So beautiful! No charge. There is power in a great Name... it's in the Name of Jesus.
Let's be unified in this great Cause. Our time here is so short and there should be a sense of urgency about what we do in and for the Lord. Check yourself.. are you in the faith. Are you outside of or in Jesus? Come to Him now.
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."John 13:35
"I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me."John 17:23
The truth of our worship and devotion really should unify us. Over the course of the history of this fallen world. I'm talking about this history of humans on this earth--there has only been some 300 years without any war here. Why cooperate with the enemy any longer? He keeps seeking to divide us wanting to take more with him to the pit? Hey, biblical spiritual warfare is good for us--we as believers war not with flesh and blood. Let's together pray more. But we Christians of all people shouldn't be warring with each other in the flesh. The Prince of Peace will come soon and He can fix that disunity issue before He arrives if we'll let Him. One day all of it will be gone. Lord Jesus, help us agree about the Cross and Your Cardinal Doctrines. Help us by Your strong anointing to walk in your love, holiness, joy and unity so that we can get the task done for your glory.
He Liberates sinners like me, He Manumits People.. Breaks Every Chain. There is no one Like our God!
There is no one that even comes close to how You are.. no one is like You God. Please unify us and use us today.
"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters." Hebrews 13:1
"For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, 'Peace be within you."Psalm 122:8
None nowhere is like Him. All sin gets wiped away cuz of the sufficient blood of the Cross. Christ frees. So beautiful! No charge. There is power in a great Name... it's in the Name of Jesus. He can unify us. facebook.com/shareJesus
Deny buildin' upon any of this corrupt world's dumb ideas, or upon your old selfish nature. Do the opposite. Go with the good-new from God rather than the old-lame ..even perhaps tweaked and repackaged from this world.
"When you feed your faith your doubts will starve to death."~ Jeff Lasseigne
"Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others - ignoring God! - 8 harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. 9 So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit." Galatians 6:7-9 msg
“Do not be deceived”, cuz it’s actually possible for any of us to become that way and think that we are somehow stronger in and of ourselves.. too strong to be ill-affected by personally inferior choices. Can happen. ”God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”Or woman, or teenager, or other person--applies to all people. “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption”, not talkin’ karma here, or about really a good thang at all--something you really don’t want comin’ to you as some kind of negative reward if ya will.. “but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life..” A very positive thing better than a mere work-out habit.. great for any of us to do. And who among us doesn’t desire real and extended non-stop LIFE during this short, boring, or not so perfect longer earthly life here? None. You get so blessed from God for seeking and obeying Him that you can’t contain your joy so as a natural outgrowth of all that.. you really want to go tell someone about His love.
“For they sow the wind And they reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads; It yields no grain. Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up.”Hosea 8:7
Healthy, yes well, (cuz they're well-fed and wisely apply), fit, exercised, strong believers ..they naturally reproduce. Don't you see that in all of the natural world around us as well? Sure. You can be spiritually healthy. At home, at school, at work, on the beach, wherever healthy believers go they have joy and reproduce. But the sickly, the not good fed (from the word of God), the ill-fed (with deceptive lies--there are lots of false teachers etc out there), the couch-potatoes, the spiritually weak people of unbelief and negligence ..simply do not reproduce. Hey Buckeroo, God wants you and me spiritually well, and filled with His joy and His Spirit... reproducing for His glory. He wants us planting seeds, loving, telling, serving and leading others to Christ. Sure. He can forgive, lead, and can use any of us in reaping people into the Kingdom.
When so many horrific things are happening around us, I do find it kinda interesting how obsessed Americans get (among other things..) with finding the job of their dreams--work they really love and enjoy (and I really want that for you. Not that I or God view slavery as a good thing), but many in the New Testament were slaves they couldn't go find the job of your dreams yet Paul talk to them about being content, about serving the Lord wholeheartedly, and about shining brightly as witnesses for Christ. It is appointed unto each one of us to die and then comes the judgement. How will you and your loved ones fair through that? Are you trusting in your good works?.. don't do that. Once lost people die and go into eternity, they basically freeze the problem how it is.. rather than seeing it fixed by God cuz of the Cross of Christ. Let that sink in deep. The world's eyes are upon us as we build. We Christians are being watched. Why? It's cuz they want to see what we say when we miss the nail and hit our thumb with the hammer. What will we say? Do we respond by the Spirit or anger. Do we walk in the Spirit of Love or in the flesh?
www.bgea.org #emphasis.mine #Galatians 6:7 #Believer, replace all of the inferior choices with really excellent daily habits.
Lay down your hurt, lay down your confusion and heart.. come as you are. Earth has no sorrow, no miss-information, no lack, no brokenness, no twisting, no illness, no mourning, no pain, no reversals, no depression-sessions, no misunderstandings, no needs.. that heaven can't cure. The Gospel is both come and go. Come and be freely forgiven and then go and tell people about Jesus so that others can be! Too many people ..even a person that I recently talked with.. think that they've really got to get to work and clean themselves up first (reform themselves) and then come to Christ. I say.. Bad idea. This fisherman catches His fish and then cleans em. Come now just as you are. And the Gospel in a sense is both... Come and go. Come and be freely forgiven and then go and tell people about Jesus so that others can also be! "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me" ~ Jesus ...and (not or) "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned..'" ~ Jesus ...and "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ~ Jesus Matthew 28:19
Bad habits only stay alive if you keep feeding em. Feed your faith, not your doubts or your old fleshly nature that tells ya to do what it tells you to do.
Too many people think, but if I just feed my old nature It’ll finally be satisfied and then leave me alone. Nope false.
It’ll just get hungrier than ever ..for what’s bad for ya. More dissatisfied.. then your old nature will stomp, hit it’s fists on the ground just like a three year old, and It’ll demand far more sinnin’ from you. And tomorrow it’ll demand much tomorrow. No peace. So starve it to death. Choose to hate sin instead. It’s what destroys people. Feed your spirit with what’s edifying instead--prayerfully spreading the Gospel is really edifying.
Yes your mission.. if you choose to accept it.. no matter your vocation in life.. is to go fish and follow through. Go where the hungry fish (peeps) are. And our goal (as Christians) is to do our part in helpin' any willing ..to hook-up with: 1.) The greatest Fisher [Christ], 2.) With other people just like you.. who are sincerely wantin' to make a lastin' difference here with Him, and with 3.) Your long-planned-out God-given evangelistic purpose! All. Hey, you can do this! You know how the Bible says, “Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!’” (Matt.4:19). Maybe at this point.. like that seasoned fisher of old, the Apostle Pete, you kinda feel like a failure in life, or worthless, or pretty insignificant at times? Well i’m here to remind you that God loves you and has a purpose for your life. He gave you talents to use as bait if ya will, and you can become a vital part of God's fishing plan so to speak! Jesus Christ is so there for you, yes, to encourage you to freely receive what you need most.. to grab a pole, a net, some effective proverbial worms. Yup, the right bait for fishin' perhaps. to righteously go catch em with. Bait that they like and really.. is good. Christ was lifted up on a Cross, came out of that dark hole alive, and now God draws people to Himself...yet we work with the Chief to net people ..and for their own benefit. Remember how He encouraged Simon when He said, “Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" (Lk. 5:10). Have you made the thrilling discovery yet, that second only to experiencing the blessing, the righteous fun if ya will, the great privilege and glory of worshiping the Lord in Spirit and in Truth, comes the tremendous J-O-Y of leading another person to Christ? Let's do this! Why? Well, at this point there are still 6.8 million people still waiting to simply hear the name Jesus. He's their hope--He's our living hope as well. Yup, that's "missions" and Christ calls all believers to be a part of this effort. He calls us to go fish for souls that He loves, but not just to stop there. Yes, He told us to go tell.. that's the Great Commission. Imperative. But after we obey with that.. after He uses a Christian to reel in, to rescue, to actually save a person who was once dead inside and lost.. we Christians can then be used of God to help that new baby Christian go on with Christ to spiritual maturity in connection with a Bible teaching local church. That's also so important and it's exciting to be involved with. I've covered this follow up process at length before, but hear are a few simple reminders for you. What to always keep in mind... * Prayer for the new believer remains a vital part of follow-up ministry. * God, not any of us Christians, can save or produce growth in the life of another person. Duh. * God changes our desires after then second birth. He gives new Christians the desire and the ability to live in a way that pleases Him. We start to loathe what we used to love [sin, personal destruction], and start to love what we used to loathe [church fellowship, pure Bible truth, prayer, serving and aiding others] (Philippians 2:13). * No amount of time, effort, or anything that we can do will ensure that new believers will go all the way with Jesus, I mean on to spiritual maturity in Him. * Be confident that in Christ's new and living way, and in His time, He will do what He promises to do.. accomplishing what He has begun in each believer. He's the Author and Finisher of our faith. We all need to keep on growing in the Word of God. (Philippians 1:6). * God uses various Scriptures inside our minds, uses our inner conscience [and His Holy Spirit now lives inside our once dead human spirit], and uses genuine instead of religious friendships to prompt us, and uses other means like trials to bring about spiritual growth in a Christian's life. His agape love and truth draws us closer. That's what His sanctification process is all about. * He's always used people for this purpose, uses events, His Word as we wisely apply it, and uses daily circumstances to help or cause the willing to grow up. * He deals with each of us in a gentle very unique way, because He made each of us unique. * Ultimately God our loving Father is responsible for saving us and for spiritually bringing about growth in us. We believers follow Jesus' clear commands when involved in follow up ministry, and then we of course leave the results to Him. Doin' my best (working here), I commit the rest. Follow up is fun. Do you now need some discipleship or follow-up ministry? * God respects our choices in the sense that He won't pressure any us to do His will. As a real Gentleman, Christ allows every person to respond differently when hearing His Gospel and when they respond to all His other Bible Scriptures for maturation. (Mark 4:3-9; 14-20). "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you can to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building." ~ Paul, 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." Philippians 2:13, Facebook.com/shareJesus
