Sowing and Harvesting the Bible Way -- That's What We Want To Do Right!?

Guess what.. where God's Spirit leads you, His grace will keep and empower you for ministry. Where He guides, He provides. Some of my friends who live in other parts of the United States or who move away from here, sometimes call me to complain about how they wish they could simply return to Texas. 

No lie; they miss the people and the fellowship around the Word of God. People can get malnourished spiritually and weak and even begin to feel that way. Perhaps you are poor but have lots of money. Maybe you are famished, living in a famine-stricken region surrounded by huge grocery stores that have countless well-stocked shelves. Do the people there get it? Hey, that dull blue glow of light emanating from your TV set for hours on end won't satisfy or replace His pure Light!

Anyway, these friends of mine explain how they can drive a long distance from their homes only to find the somber frowns of the "frozen chosen" and some lame choir songs or an organ that is about to croak—a loveless non-exciting group of people who love pointless rules, their old building, the status quo, and their own denomination more than they love people sinners--people who are stuck in a time-warp-rut that have set up a faulty pecking order and that are stuck in the mire of some ice-cold dead, gossipy and plucked up has-been-congregation.

It's sad. They might live in the beautiful mountains of the northwest or in some other scenic spot, but they miss all that they can not seem to find in their new vacation area. I feel for them. They tell me how it's suddenly hard to get motivated to read God's Love Letter (the Bible), or to witness to their neighbors. It's frustrating to them.

I live in an area of the country where it's not that way. Well, at least it doesn't have to be that way. We are stoked to have some excellent sheep-sheds (and I don't mean the temporal buildings, I mean flocks that rock in more than just a musical way. We have churches with warm-hearted non-stodgy people in them—fresh thinkers, positive change agents—and many sound under shepherds (pastors on-fire and in Christ …when not all of em are) to learn from—guys that are doing the job right without the cheap hype, false teaching, manipulation or pressure. I know this isn't the only area with thousands of praying sincere believers and churches that are making a difference (I experienced authentic biblical awakening in the OC of SO Cal as well) and I know that this town has unfortunately had more than it's share of religious wackos filled with gospel-greed (which has nothing at all to do with the real Gospel) like many cities have had… but do I sound like I'm kind of pleased with what the Lord is doing in so many families and in different circles of people around here? I am, but I'm also hungry to learn and reach more. We can all do this!

Resist Hurrying the Harvest

"...Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain." —James 5:7

Does it ever seem to you like the things that we count the most important, often seem to take the longest to wait for or to reach? Does it ever seem like your most important prayers are being ignored when so much is at stake? Like me, do you ever feel impatient to the point of feeling like you need to take matters into your own hands? Hey, just give God some time to work.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts. —Ecclesiastes 3:11

Give them God's Word in the right Way, for "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant…" (Eccl. 3:1-2). 

Don't give up! In due season, you shall reap if you faint not! Jesus never asked you or me to evangelize the whole world all by ourselves ..or in our time and our way. We aren't even able to. He never asked us to use words only. We need to use whatever we can short of sinning. But He did ask you and me to pray, to obey, to abide, and to go …and to bear much fruit—"By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit" (Jn. 15:8).

One way to bear fruit is to lead someone to Christ when they are ready. One way not to bear fruit is to force the issue when they are not because we are impatient or just being weird. Remember that any person, who complies too quickly ..or is apparently convinced against their will, is of the same opinion still. If they can be talked into "it"… and that's all, then they can also be talked out of "it" just as easily. Why have that happen? 

We're waiting for You, Lord, to convict and to save ..and then come catch us all away to stay.

We want to fully obey, intelligently pray and to all our friends boldly say;

all Your promises are true and better than OK!

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. —Isaiah 40:31

Question: Have you been patiently waiting for God to intervene? You can't really join the rescuing effort until you have first been rescued yourself. No beach patrol puts a dead person in a tower to watch those surfing on the waves of the sea.

Do you think you came out of your mother's womb Christian? Believe me; you haven't done that, but God can make you into one right now! The bottom-line is this: Jesus Christ is the Person you really need. What do you have to lose? Zilch, nada, null.. nothing but a moldy old way of life that does even let you experience real LIFE!

Have you shared your story with a lost individual… your personal experience, your testimony …or some verses regarding the Gospel in a gracious and non-pushy way? You can today. Receive encouragement by prayerfully reading Isaiah 55:11 and Romans 10:13.

Read More…

Who Me A Soul Winner?

Go fish for people, the Fisherman Jesus will teach you how. 

Fishin'—It Oughta Happen Without Constraint In And Outside Of The Four Walls!

I've got some great Christian friends in North Texas who are goin' for it! I'M GRATEFUL! Some are new believers starting to verbally witness to loved ones and others are seasoned veterans hungry to learn more. And they are filled with joy, telling their friends--they are fulfilling the Christ's Great Commission! I benefit gobs from hearing their stories and seeing their infectious zeal.

Some of their healthy churches are just overflowing with excitement now and with praying new converts due to the Christian's faithful seed-planting, watering and reaping of new people into God's Kingdom. The young pastors are exampling soul-winning fervor and so are the their hearers. Yup, God is using these people together in a natural way.. with their friends to get the job done right. It's wonderful! If one Christian doesn't feel ready to lead their partying-sinner-friend to Christ in the midweek somewhere around the town… away from the flock.. they simply bring their buddy into the sheep-shed during a red-hot ROCKING Bible-loyal service for more support and words of encouragement so that their Christian friends or pastors there might close the deal so to speak. Not all make a decision that day, but countless are doing that.

Nothing wrong with that! Liney and I just love it! Can you think of any more important task among people on this planet?

Some of these young people want more basic ideas on how to successfully shine the light of Jesus in a dark world that is quickly growing darker.. so they can win people while they can. So here are some ideas I just jotted down today. Maybe they will also help you some...

Who Me, be—EvanGELAAASTIC? 

Have you ever envisioned yourself being used of God in an evangelistic but non-strange way? Purhaps you've wondered how you could become successful and fruitful in witnessing for Christ?

There's an old hymn that I just love that goes like this: "Lord, lay some soul upon my heart and love that soul through me; and may I humbly do my part to win that soul to Thee."

Is that what you want? Then be faithful and abide in Him. Jesus lovingly commanded His disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). Are you His disciple today? You can be. But what are the implications of His words here? It's this… if we are really following the Lord, then we'll be fishing for people (a.k.a. soul-winning) and doing that for the purpose of glorifying God and seeing Him use us to win them to righteousness. The topic of Jesus' last words should be one of our first concerns among all concerns. They were, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations" (Matt. 28:19). That is dealing with personal evangelism plus further friendship building.

The Christians in the New Testament sought the Lord daily, they lived the life by the Spirit's power and they went everywhere, preaching the Word to see people repent and believe (Acts 8:4).

1. Ask God to give you a deep supernatural heart-felt concern for others that will move you with evangelistic passion. Ask Jesus to give you His sight and perspective. Request of him in prayer, to help you see the people in the world just like He sees them, and to lay upon your heart a burden for at least a handful of people for whom you can earnestly pray and speak to. Pray over those people by name every day. Keep a little prayer list if you need to, and pour out your heart to God asking for an opportunity—an open door of utterance where you can reach out to them with the Gospel.

2. Choose to work on the construction crew rather than on the demolition derby relationally—be a bridge-builder rather than a wall mason or grenade-tosser with others. If you are "saved," then God wants you involved with a healthy Christ-exalting church that is reaching out and serving sinners. God loves us all the same, but only those who have made reservations in advance through faith in Jesus ...will be allowed entrance into Heaven. And God delights to use them (each one of us) on earth before they arrive there in Heaven. When the Lord shows you people needing Christ, seek to tactfully build a relationship with them. Don't be pushy. Be a real friend rather than just going after a scalp.