God's not been caught off guard by C19. Nope! He's working.

God hasn’t fallen off His throne.  He hasn’t lost any of His Sovereignty during this COVID-19 lockdown.  He ain’t surprised.  Therefore, there’s hope for you.  

Due to that escalation of the pandemic and all, you know there’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty, causing panic, anxiety, some lack, and stress. The world is at home and online. Many are now feeling bored and depressed, but we believers can be there for people to sow seeds of hope, to pray, to answer some questions they are asking, and to even win some people to Christ. Yes, globally win people. 

Seems like gas prices are at an all-time low. Schools, sporting events, concerts, graduations, funerals (went to one for my roommate Bill from our college days last week..online), and weddings have been cancelled or postponed. Church services have moved from meeting in-person to virtual live-streaming. Some now meet in their cars. Only so called essential businesses remain open, and all that’s sent unemployment rates skyrocketing. You know. 

Everywhere you look in the city or in rural settings, faces are covered in masks, and hands are in gloves. What’ll the new normal look like? 

“The only hope for this or any other society is to hear the Word of the Lord and obey.” ~ John MacArthur 

“Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity. Wherever you go, ask God for wisdom on how to get that Gospel in, even in the toughest situations of life.” ~ Ravi Zacharias 

As the days at home in isolation increase, as small minded politicians overreach for more control over the people, so does the increase of need for true hope. It’s interesting how the Lord is using the pandemic to accomplish His purposes through His Church and tactful online evangelism. 

Here’s what’s so cool.. is Global Media Outreach is on pace to clearly Present The Gospel To The 2 Billionth Person Online! Yep Two Bil -- glory to Jesus! 

There is a man named Jose in Indonesia. A few weeks after accepting Jesus as his Savior, he sent in a message for his Online Missionary saying, “Thank you for your email and the word of Jesus you are bringing to my life. As the world is going through this COVID-19 crisis, we are isolated in our home, and I want to take advantage of this quarantine and bring spiritual changes to my life and to my family.” 

Man, what a story -- such a great testimony! All glory goes to God! Jose turned, trusted, yes accepted Christ. He’s already in the Bible wanting to learn, and to grow spiritually in order to help lead his family to Jesus and in the ways of the Lord.

Most of us have never experienced anything like the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the fear of this deadly disease, families are now taxed with job loss, financial stressors, homeschooling, and countless cancelled plans. Days run together and life feels surreal. Who even keeps track of the days now? But, this isolation has caused a surge in people searching the internet and social media for answers. 

“Without Christ there is no hope.” ~ Charles Spurgeon 

"Jesus gives us hope because He keeps us company, has a vision and knows the way we should go." ~ Max Lucado 

“The Spirit of God first imparts love; he next inspires hope, and then gives liberty..” ~ Dwight L. Moody 

This one God Who freely Forgives, can Heal, Fix, Restore and Redeem! 

Been reading some in the news these days. Seen some of it that’s true; likely some of it is not. Gobs of fake news these days. 

I'm trying not to spend too much time reading those articles because it can distract me from what I need to do and how I need to respond. We’ve got bigger fish to fry so to speak. Not really fry.. I’d just rather share the simple Gospel than try to reform sinners and saints (that’d be an exercise in futility). 

There’s a surety in God's Word, I'm going to focus on the list of things He does each day for us.

People around the world now are seeking viable answers like never before in record numbers. We've been seeing an increase in the number of “Gospel Visits” through our GMO ministry. Perhaps you desire to make a difference in eternity. Over the past week, there’s been many days of over 500K visits per day. My SoCal pastor normally has about 100 people respond when he presents a clear Gospel invitation, but he’s had over a million people watch his Online-only Sunday service and has seen over 40,000 people click the button to make a profession of faith in just four weeks. 

I've played a small part. Feel blessed! Since May 21 in 2013 I’ve had the joy and privilege of leading a team of thirteen balanced, spiritually healthy GMO missionaries who are constantly reaching out to needy people. God works.. and we then brag on the Lord who saves! 

For a view of what GMO missionaries are doing today, yes, of what's happening each day, just go to this site www.witnesstoall.com

God can use you too. He delights to bless and use people. As the Lord leads, get involved. These numbers reset each day at Midnight CDT and now more than ever people are searching for the truth, for answers, and for hope. You can know the Lord! And witnessing is a calling for all believers to be and do. I mean across the sea, or across the campus or street. Pray about it, God can use you as an online missionary to help and win people! 

When we step out something happens. When we all step out that’s like a revolution!  

Dare ya if I may: Give thanks. Focus on Christ and the list of things He daily does for us (in Psalm 103)

“Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children--with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.” "You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word." Psalm 119:114 

"I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5 

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:11 Facebook.com/shareJesus 

We serve a great God who is constantly longing to do new things in the lives of His people. And what's not to love about cyber-outreach?

"The church is not closed. It is DEPLOYED." ~ Greg Laurie 

#BeNewFishNew #LiveFreeAndDeployable 

Live new -- regenerated and restored. Have a new start, and be apart of a new thing so that others can too.

Online-only services are really impacting. What's not to love about digital-outreach and cyber witnessing?

In a good sense I feel so proud of churches doing this! You can too. I feel passionate about the Lord and what He's doing through His Church! 

Fear not, He delights to bless and use His people!  Talkin' #QuarantineLife and Spiritual Awakening here. Back in the day "doing a new thing" was something God promised to His beloved people of Israel. Check it out in Isaiah 43 when this nation was in captivity in Babylon (not at all something any of the Israelites wanted).

They were being held captive because of their sins and things pretty much looked like God had completely abandoned them. Man, can imagine how the individuals must have felt back then? Will God ever free us? Will He ever love and bless us again? Will He ever use us to bless others? 

Perhaps you too have felt ditched, neglected, over-looked and forsaken by the Lord? Maybe your own future looks pretty bleak to you? Do you feel like He has shelved you cuz of past stumbling or failings. God says...

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing.." Isaiah 43:18-19 (nkjv) 

Take some moments to see the whole context of this passage. I believe it captures the very heart of God for His people today. 

FEAR < LESS

LIVE THAT WAY, NOT

HOPELESS!

YEP, TAKE IT TO ZERO THIS UNBELIEF AND BEING AFRAID,

BY TRUSTING THE PROMISES OF THE WORD. 

Christ is our living hope today, and there is indeed new HOPE for His people! Remember how God promised never to leave us, nor to forsake us because of our sins or failures. He in fact is wanting to bless -- to do a new thing in all of our lives! But you might ask:

“But how do you know that, Kurt?  How can we be sure that this Bible passage clearly expresses His heart and desire for my life her and now personally?”

We can sing a new song cuz God's done one new thing after another down through all of history. History is His story, one of caring for His people. I know it because He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His Message and character haven't changed, His global purpose hasn't changed. 

God always wants to do new things in the lives of His people! We saw this principle at work when we got saved. The Bible says..

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 

  

What a relief to find Christ and be forgiven! Have you been born again spiritually (John 3:3)? It can happen right now. When God saved me, He did a new thing in my life. He's done this in so many lives by making each of us a spiritual ‘new creation’. 

But even before that day He seems to have incorporated this principle into His physical creation as well. 

You know how God is the source of life and of every living thing created. He did it. We are constantly being made new -- daily it's happening as our cells are constantly dying and being replaced by new ones. You aren't the same person that you were ten years ago, Buckeroo.

We can continue to renew and grow, to be sanctified, to mature in our walk and witness. Daily we can obey Him. His mercies are new every morning! And someday we will see this principle of newness applied to His whole universe...

"Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5..

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.." Revelation 21:1

Now when it comes to our spiritual lives (that part of our own experience dealing with our personal relationship with Christ), God always wants to do new things because—it keeps our relationship with Him meaningful, intimate, new, vibrant and fresh.

You see, God hates complacency, moldiness, laziness, and stagnation in our spiritual lives because.. if we’re not constantly moving forward with His new directives, we will inevitably be digressing, sliding backward. I say let's prayerfully advance by His Spirit -- cuz God will do something NEW!

But heads up, so often God can not do a new work in our lives until He first tears down the old worthless stuff that we have built up. He often has to weed out, before He plants new seed. He'll often unerect before he can erect..

"See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:10

Seems like God has allowed our many church services to be unerected in order to put together what's new online. He's allowed this for a time in order to answer prayers and do a new thing. Many congregations have been online a bit with their ministries, but now it's much different here in the USA.  

Yes, God sometimes has to tear down or take away the old, before He can add the new in, or build something new and effective—and it is at this point where we come in. You see, we have to be willing to change—He never forces us to change. God isn’t asking us to produce the power to change our lives on our own, or our services—this isn’t about your will-power or mine. It's not about our own way--it is about His Way. 

It first starts with belief and prayer. Admit it and quit it. Yes, it starts in each heart with repentance (meaning: to turn away from sin.. to Christ)—and then by you purposefully walking in the Spirit.

"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5:16

While God expects us to change, but never expects us to be able to change ourselves. He expect us each to be willing to change, yes, to cooperate with His Spirit and be changed. Then He empowers making us change-agents. 

So what else is brand new? Who else is being made new? 

Well, you know how churches across our Land had to scramble in response to the change in circumstance with the spread of Covid-19 virus -- they were forced to go exclusively to online services weeks ago.

Well God In His Love Has Continued On In Blessing His People And Blessing Others As Well.

It’s Obvious That The Lord Loves Us And Our Digital Worship That’s Biblically Based. See What's Happening. He May Be Answering Prayers By Sending America’s Next Spiritual Awakening Using The Digital Outreach.

Am Feelin' Personally Stoked To See The Church Bringing Church To The Unchurched.. And To Others Globally. His Gospel Message Is Reaching Out Farther To Regions Beyond.

We've seen a much greater response to the Gospel Message going out from our current church in Dallas. And my former local church out west of where I live now had over 250,000 people attend their first Online-Only-Service and this too has increased every single week sense then to over a million people now. How cool is that! 

Hundreds of thousands of people whom the marketers often refer to as the church's “target demographic”.. those between the ages of 18 and 34.. are now hearing the Gospel presented. Yes, since the start of the shutdown, the church's millennial viewership is up 235 percent. A good thang! We've prayed for this to happen.

Look around you. People want real life, not merely some Instagram-life. Pastors, leaders, Christians.. please continue to extend an opportunity for individuals to pray honestly and invite Jesus Christ to come into their lives. Ask, don't wait for another day! At last count, over 40,000 people have made professions of faith. In a matter of weeks, that many clicked it at an Online service.. responding about their own turning and trusting Christ.

You know how for decades, Christians have been trying, seemingly in vain, to reach America’s youngest generations—millennials and Generation Z—with the gospel. And all the while, we’ve seen headline after headline, poll after poll showing us that church attendance has been declining. Rapidly falling. The fastest-growing religion in America is now the “nones,” (pretty much believing in nothin')..meaning those individuals who aren’t necessarily atheists. Maybe they’re loosely spiritual often with a mix, but they profess faith in no specific religion or tradition at all. Then God allows a global pandemic! What shall we do?

We can suffer strong. Many are. We can witness strong even when we feel weak and God can make it count. One millennial said, “As a millennial I understand in a way a Gen X or a Boomer doesn’t (and probably a little less than a Gen Z) what it means to be digitally native."

We each can still share our own stories of faith (testimonies) and witness with the Gospel. We can witness with the Word via phone, via laptop screen, via tweets, via instagram and emails etc. Let's not stop! 

Been told that people touch their phones 2,617 times a day (be sure to clean it off), and 84 percent say that they can’t go through a single day without having their phone on em. Most people under 30 can’t even remember a time, a world before cell phones.

Hard for me to relate to, but many people today experience a form of in-person angst a.k.a. face to face social anxiety. Online hearing someone explain what's so can come off differently. Real good. Both ways of communicating are of course still needed!

“One soul is worth a thousand worlds.” ~ R.G. Lee

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his-own soul?” Mark 8:36

“The best remedy for a spiritually sick Christian is to put them on a soul-winning diet.” ~ Vance Havner

It's interesting how I can often tell in the first fifteen minutes of meeting a person.. it their treasure is here on earth or is laid up in heaven. People love to talk about themselves, their idols, or about their passion. What's deep in the well comes up.

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

Sure it's been weird how several Governors and other politicians have overreached to push their liberal agenda and gain control of the people... like one alone out SUP-boarding on the sea, or on quiet beaches. It's weird how some of our local government authorities are not letting Christians gather but allow Mosques and weed shops to remain open. That's how the world is, so don't be distracted by that. Sinners sin because they are sinners..in their nature. They need a new nature inside!

“If we prepare ourselves for life's inevitables, we will not be perplexed by life's transitions.” ~ Jack Hyles

“If you are not concerned about your neighbor’s salvation, then I am concerned for yours.” ~ Ray Comfort

“I’d rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to win them.” ~ Keith Green

“Make it an object of constant study, and of daily reflection and prayer, to learn how to deal with sinners so as to promote their conversion.” ~ Charles G. Finney

“It is not our business to make the Message acceptable, but to make it available. We are not to see that they like it, but that they get it.” ~ Dr. Vance Havner

Do your part and leave the results up to God ..working with them.

Nothing Online replaces, yep, zip takes the place of fellowship in a local church. I mean gathering together with the Word and worshipping Christ in person. I am SO looking forward to meeting with, to gathering together with our congregation in person again. Hopefully that can happen sooner rather than much later. Yes, in the very near future! But in the meantime let's ALL pray. Let's use the tools and bait (so to speak) that we have to get the Gospel out and reap. And then be led to disciple the baby Christians into healthy growth in grace and Bible truth. Facebook.com/shareJesus .. Fish4souls.org

Have You Failed In Witnessing?

"And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, 'Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.' Then he began to curse and swear, saying, 'I do not know the Man!' Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So he went out and wept bitterly." ~Matthew 26:73-75

How could a young girl and her inquiring downtown friends scare a big strong man?

Man, I look forward to chatting with Peter about this when I get to heaven, because sometimes I too have become afraid inside of things that I never thought would move me. The enemy traffics in fear. He and his slimy buds are good at using this tool. Any of us.. if we are caught off guard and not walking in the Spirit could wimp out when we need to be taking a stand for Jesus. 

Pete simply needed to be baptized and controlled by the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2). He needed to rely not upon himself but upon God. This is basic. He probably didn't pray for boldness that day. He needed more witnessing passion instead of an interest in protecting his own hide. Easy for me to talk huh?

I can relate to this and think about this often. Each day I radically need the grace of God to witness so that I can become what He wants be to become.. nothing less, nothing more, nothing else!

I sure feel like I can identify with Pete, can't you?

Perhaps you can as well.  

Can you just imagine how Peter must have felt after he had an opportunity to witness, but then failed Christ and the team only to hear a morning rooster crow and remember what Jesus said? Perhaps that is the reason why he didn't run so fast to the empty tomb and why his friend John beat him there a few days later. 

Sure. I remember how it felt and how it was as a kid when I had blown it during the day and then my dad would arrive home from work. Would my mom tell him? I certainly wouldn't be the first one among my siblings to arrive at his car or at the front door to greet him upon his return. It was a horrible feeling inside. I never intended to let him down.

Man, I have failed in witnessing multiples times too.

Hate that!

Wanna knock a homer over the wall for the coach and the benefit of the team each time up to bat, but I've sometimes hit a foul ball right into the stands. Gotta remember that not all "hitters" so to speak "started out as hitters" but all of em started out on the bench and on the practice field so they could listen carefully to the head Coach.

Over 250 years ago, Alexander Pope said, "To err is human, to forgive divine."

Do you ever err? Sure you do and humility can be honest about this. 

I hope not with your doctrine. All witnesses are called to be studiers of the Bible. We don't outgrow the need to have our noses in the Book. Gotta import before we can export right.

Yup, the Apostle Paul told young Tim ..who would (desired to) become a great witness, "The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things" (2 Tim. 2:7).

He said, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).

The Apostle Peter agreed, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen" (2 Pet. 3:18).

It really ain't bad to study how effective witnesses do it out there with unbelievers ..up close and personal as well!

"Sir, I'm not here to embarrass you at all, but wouldn't you like for me to stop and briefly pray for you? Together, we can simply talk to our loving Father about your needs right now? What do we have to lose? Do you mind?"

Hey gang, all true believers will learn witnessing lessons. They might hear "No!" from hearers many times, but they also might hear "Yes, I'm ready." 

They will hear neither if they allow personal failure to paralyze them and keep them away from people.

Some will learn more lessons than others ..if they pray earnestly and try to lovingly engage unbelievers in their culture.

If a man goes out and buys all the best tennis equipment that the pros at Wimbledon use, but never actually makes it on to a tennis court to practice, he won't learn as many tennis lessons as the teenager does who has cheap used equipment, but does make it on to a court to bat some balls around. Duh! He can read a lot about tennis and pass some tests perhaps, but witnessing for Christians is learned in witnessing.. not so much in seminary or at the library (and I personally wouldn't dis reading about it).

A lesson can be repeated until we learn the lesson.. but not always because time could run out for the witness or for those they are trying to reach.

The essence of a real witness (a saint) and of the unregenerate (sinners) is imperfection, but all saints need to be encouraged to go pray, to go witness, to try again, and to not give up! Lives are at stake!

Failure in witnessing can be viewed as part of the tutorial price of learning to become effective in future witnessing. You've heard the stories of how many inventors learned through a process of illumination about what didn't work, before they arrived at what did. But every individual is different, so we can't afford to become self-confident along the learning path.

Don't be afraid to fail and please don't fail to try. The circumstances don't have to be perfect to start. That bus stop might be half broken down and in a real bad location, but God doesn't care about that. He cares about those that will board the bus (in our town we often have angry guys with a back-breath preaching down at people at bus stops and I ain't talking about that kinda stuff)!

All Christians are witnesses of the truth ..good and bad.. but God can make you a successful and fruitful witness for Christ's glory. You've got to trust Him and take some steps in the light He gives you.

Ask your heavenly Father daily to help you by His Holy Spirit to not fail ..and then in the holy fear of God (yeah, with reverential respect) simply follow His lead one step at a time, one relationship at a time, and one day at a time. Moment by moment He is Lord and He is with you. He can give you courage, great wisdom, the right words from His Word ..and the right approach with each encounter.

If you sin, just admit it and ask the Lord to forgive you. Like Peter learn from that failure and go back to meet with Christ even if you might not feel like it. Get up and try again!