Make Some Disciples

What can we do to make disciples today?

Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Ephesians 1:21 Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else--not only in this world but also in the world to come.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses

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Just a few days ago Jesus seemed to be totally powerless, he seemed to be unable to do anything for himself that day, but today we see that when we were looking at him on the cross we were so wrong about what was really going on and what he was capable of doing.

The man that took the role of the Passover lamb and humbled himself to die on the cross didn't do it because he didn't have the power to stop the events, oh no, he gave his life willingly. He could have easily taken the power of his captors away so that they could not finish their evil plans, he could have caused their bodies to become too weak to bring any harm to him but instead Jesus actually empowered them to accomplish HIS purpose. (John 10:15-18, Romans 13:1)

Jesus tells his disciples to go, go be the church, go tell others the good news, go and grow them into maturity in Christ. The question that we should never stop asking is this "What can we do to make disciples today?"

He didn't tell us to go and build programs and keep them forever because of tradition, he didn't tell us to go and make workers or tithers, he told us to go and have an affect on other people so that they will come to know him.

I have the power to be a witness for Christ, the power was given to me by Jesus I want to help create disciples in my church.

Help us Lord to remember the power that we have, you told us to go and make disciples and that is what we are to be doing. I pray that my church will become better equipped to make disciples.

I Didn't Feel Called

Are you supposed to be somewhere else?

Jungle Missionary, Joil Marbut

This video has some tough questions about our faith and our obedience. Are you called to do something? Are you supposed to be serving somewhere else? Are you waiting for a burning bush.

To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us, it is difficult to comprehend how extreme the word everything is, I don't think that any of us really go extreme in desiring God. We say we want to know him but we don't cultivate the relationship, he has called us to know him and live for him

Are you called?

1. God calls weak people and supplies for them (Exodus 3:1-8)
2. God calls all people to faithful obedience (1 Samuel 3:1-10)
3. God calls his people to speak truth in dark times (Isaiah 6:1-8)
4. God calls his enemies (Acts 9:1-6)

How often do we see needs and think that somebody should fill the gap in that situation? What if it was our opportunity and we missed it? We have all felt that internal nudge to do something, you see a need, you feel some tension inside, but just like the disciples you say "this is all I have."

What do you do when Jesus tells you to do something impossible? You tell God that there is no way that you have the resources or the skill set, you are not equipped, you are scared but God says "I don't care, bring what you have."

You may tell God, "I am not someone that meets that kind of need, I am somebody that prays for somebody to meet that need. I'm just a prayer warrior" But God says "I don't care, bring what you have."

My Amazon Mission Trip

Something so good should not be kept a secret.

Psalms 40:6-10  You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that You have made me listen, I finally understand. You don't require burnt offerings or sin offerings.

7  Then I said, "Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures:  8  I take joy in doing Your will, my God, for Your instructions are written on my heart."   

9  I have told all Your people about Your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as You, O LORD, well know.  10  I have not kept the good news of Your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about Your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of Your unfailing love and faithfulness.

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I just came back from a mission trip to the Amazon rain forest. We worked with Amazon Outreach for the transportation and logistics and with AmazonVida for continued mission work and long term discipleship after the mission team is gone.

One day during my morning devotions my Bible "accidentally" opened to this scripture in Psalm chapter forty. There are several truths about the work that we were doing in the jungle that I found in this scripture.

God wants obedience with the right attitude.

God wants me to keep my attitude in check when I am working for him. God wants me to make sacrifices with the way that I use my money, my time and my talents but if I have the wrong motives or do it with a bad attitude then my efforts for him are worthless.

The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were a requirement for God's people, they didn't always obey and when they did obey they didn't always have a heart of genuine repentance, they just went through the motions and made their sacrifices to him without changing their ways.

We should take joy in being obedient to God.

King David said that he was full of joy and he knew that he was being obedient because God's word was written on his heart. Too many people that attend church leave their Bibles at home in the dust where they have been sitting all week, how can we possibly know God's will if we do not spend time with him?

God wants us to tell others.

If we understand how good God has been to us then how can we keep the good news to ourselves? King David didn't keep God's goodness to himself, he said that he told everybody about the goodness of God, he told them all about the love and faithfulness that they will never find anywhere else.

When I read these scriptures on the mission trip I was surprised to see such a "New Testament" concept in the Old Testament. I was reminded of my responsibility that Jesus gave me of telling everyone about the love of God. God's love and faithfulness are too good to keep to ourselves!

John 20:21 “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

It is too easy, in the middle of our everyday lives, to forget about our mission. A mission trip is a great way to regain your focus and determine to live with your focus on the great commission.

Help me Lord to keep my focus on you and your mission.

Come To Jesus

Jesus is God and he is able to satisfy your thirsty soul better than anything else.

John 7:30-32  Then the leaders tried to arrest Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His time had not yet come.  31  Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in Him. "After all," they said, "would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?"  32  When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus.

John 7:37-38  On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me!  38  Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"

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Another visit to the temple has turned into chaos, every time Jesus goes there is a disturbance, this time it is the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles. There was a commotion before Jesus got there that only got worse, the crowds were trying to find Jesus and the were debating who he is.

The crowds are trying to decide who Jesus is but they are not looking at all of the evidence. Is this guy a good man or a deceiver? Are those really the only options for you to choose from?

John 7:12 There was a lot of grumbling about Him among the crowds. Some argued, "He's a good man," but others said, "He's nothing but a fraud who deceives the people."

We have been looking at some of the proof about Jesus in the study of the Book of John. John has given us a great deal of evidence about who Jesus is. John keeps coming back to this issue because he wants us to see that neither of those are viable options.

Jesus has been telling this crowd who he is but they didn't even list being God as one of the possibilities. Jesus teaching, his miracles and all of the prophecy that was fulfilled at his birth make a solid case to back up his claim to be God in a body.

The crowds got stuck on the fact that Jesus came in humility, he was selfless, he didn't attempt to gain money or political power, none of the things that a worldly leader should have, yet he had an incredible impact on our world. A false Messiah has never made this big of a difference in our world and he has never been humble and renounce money and power.

During the Feast of Tabernacles a priest went to the Pool of Siloam, drew water in a golden pitcher, and returned in procession to the temple, where he poured it out at the base of the altar. This part of the feast commemorated God’s provision of water from the rock that sustained Israel during their stay in the wilderness.

Knowing this helps me to see why the Jews were so upset, Jesus claim that he was what the symbolism of the ritual was about would be a very bold and shocking statement, one that would offend any of us if it happened today.

Jesus Makes Us An Offer
John 4:13-14  Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

Jesus doesn't get into the debate, he has done enough to prove who he is, instead he makes an offer to the crowd. If you are hung up on whether Jesus is a good man or a deceiver then this offer isn't going to mean anything to you. He makes an offer to this crowd of Jews in the temple that is the same as the offer he made to an adulterous Samaritan woman next to a well and it is the same offer that is being given to each of us.

Jesus invites us to come to him if you are thirsty for spiritual things, if you are thirsty for a full pardon for your sin and if you crave a relationship with your creator then come on down. Get yourself a taste of living water that can satisfy!

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let anyone who hears this say, "Come." Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

See how satisfying living water can be, get a taste of forgiveness, grow in your knowledge of who God is and what he desires for your life. Drink freely and experience his grace, salvation and pardon for sin that will last for eternity.

After you have had a taste of this water you will have to share it with others. Not only do you drink and have your own thirst quenched, but you also become the supplier for other people, you will have this satisfying water pouring out of you for the world to taste.

Thank you Lord for the drink of living water! Help me to be a river of water to the thirsty world around me.

Be Fruitful And Multiply

Do these words apply to the New Testament church? 

Genesis 22:17  I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.

Genesis 35:9-11  Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him,  10  saying, "Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel." So God renamed him Israel.  11  Then God said, "I am El-Shaddai--'God Almighty.' Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!

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Way back in the book of Genesis God made a promise to both Abraham and to his grandson Jacob. God told Abraham that his descendants would be huge, they would become a great nation of people that would be a blessing to the other nations.

Most of us have heard the story and probably understand only part of the meaning of the phrase "be fruitful and multiply." To the casual observer it may look like God is saying, "go have a lot of children" or you may think that it is a nice story for the Jews but none of this has a direct application to me.

At first it may seem like a stretch to apply this phrase to the New Testament church or to evangelism but check this out:

Similarities in the covenant with both men

Genesis 17:4-6  "This is My covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!  5  What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.  6  I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!

Jacob's promise is a reaffirmation of the promise made to Abraham.

The promises to both men contain:

1. a name change (Abram to Abraham, and Jacob to Israel),
2. a promise that kings will come from them,
3. a reference to being fruitful, and
4. a promise that a "multitude of nations" will come from Abram and Jacob.

God made a promise to Abraham which he reaffirmed several times to him and he also affirmed it to Jacob with a lot of similarities in the two events.

Gentile believers are a part of the promise

John 8:39-41  "Our father is Abraham!" they declared. "No," Jesus replied, "for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example.  40  Instead, you are trying to kill Me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.  41  No, you are imitating your real father." They replied, "We aren't illegitimate children! God Himself is our true Father."

Romans 4:16-17  So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.  17  That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

Jesus told the Jews that they were not a part of the promise that was made to Abraham just because of their genealogy. Jesus made it clear that some of the Jews had a different father and they were living to please him instead of God. (John 8:44)

Jesus opened the door to the idea that the spiritual family rather than the physical family is what really matters. The promise that Abraham would be fruitful and be the father of many nations is fulfilled with the inclusion of the Gentiles. You don't have to be a Jew to become a part of God's chosen people. (Ephesians 2:19, 1 Peter 2:9)

I am a part of the blessing 

Galatians 3:6-8  In the same way, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."  7  The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.  8  What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when He said, "All nations will be blessed through you."

Abraham was made righteous because of his faith in God's promise and my faith does the same for me. Jesus said that the Jews had no advantage when it comes to having a relationship with him. (Matthew 3:9) Since Christ is from the seed of Abraham then everyone that is born again into the family of God is a true offspring of Abraham and they are heirs of the promises

The key is belonging to Christ, who is the offspring of Abraham, as Paul said, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:16, 29)

I need to obey the command

John 15:8,16  When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father. 16 You didn't choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name.

If I am a part of the family of God's blessed people then I must also be a part of the command to be fruitful and multiply. This command belongs to every Christian and every time that we participate in leading someone to Jesus we are fulfilling that command.

We can't bring anybody to Jesus in our own power but when God gave the command to Abraham and Jacob he also told them about the source of strength to do what he told them to do. God said, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply." Jesus said something very similar just before he left earth when he told the disciples:

Matthew 28:18-19 he told his disciples: "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations."

I need to realize the power that is found in Jesus that enables me to tell the world about the gospel. If I remain quiet then I am not obeying the command to be fruitful and multiply. I need to participate in missions and be willing to Go, Pray and Give.

Extreme Missions

How extreme is your commitment to the great commission? 

Acts 20:18-27  When they arrived he declared, "You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now  19  I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.  20  I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.  21  I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike--the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus."

22  "And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don't know what awaits me,  23  except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.  24  But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."   

25  "And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.  26  I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it's not my fault,  27  for I didn't shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know."

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Many times I wonder about the life that we live and wonder if we are supposed to be doing so much more for God. I go to work, I casually mention the fact that I go to church, I go on about my day. This is so different from the extreme approach to missions that we see in the Bible and it is so different from the lifestyle of many missionaries around the world that are living out God's mission in extreme ways while most of us do so little.

One man whose obedience to mission work was extreme was Paul. In the book of Acts and in Paul's letters you see how dangerous his work was. Many times he was chased out of town or beat up. We can also see how very consuming Paul's mission work was as he spent almost all of his time and energy doing it.

Paul said that he did the Lord's work with humility, tears, perseverance and he never avoided saying what needed to be said even when it put him in danger. There are not many missionaries that can say that much less the average Christ follower. How many of us approach our missions work with such zeal?

I have to admit that I have never cried over the people that I was going out to work with on a mission trip. Most of the trips are only a week and don't take up much of my time and energy. I have never spoke up for Jesus in the face of danger, often times I don't speak up when the only reaction that I will probably get may be so very minor. I have to wonder how pleased God is with my weak effort.

Sound the warning!
Ezekiel 33:3-5  When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people.  4  Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die.  5  They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives.

My mission is similar to the job of the watchman up on the city wall back in ancient times, he was responsible for warning the people when danger was coming, this was a very important job that needed to be taken seriously. It is the job of every follower of Jesus!

The danger that is on the way should motivate us to tell everyone. I need to sound the warning. I need to make the message clear so that I will not be to blame if they ignore the warning.

Walk Worthy

Does my walk show the world that I appreciate God's blessings? 

Ephesians 4:1  I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

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The first three chapters of Ephesians are full of truth about our resources, riches, and the things God has done for us. It is amazing to read through the beginning of Ephesians with a highlighter to mark all of the incredible things that God has done for us.

From chapter four until the end of the book in chapter six Paul tells his readers that because of the amazing things that have been done we need to walk worthy! We need to live up to the high calling that God has placed on our lives.

You know how the media loves a story of somebody that is royalty that has embarrassed their family and their position. They are not their own person in Paul makes it clear that we need to walk a different walk and live up to our position in Christ. Paul teaches this in many of his letters and he doesn't just ask us to live worthy of our position, it's not just a good idea or a suggestion, he is actually begging us.

Listen to Paul's message in some of his other letters, "I plead with you to give your bodies to God, I urge you to imitate me, we plead, 'Come back to God!' and again he says "We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you"

There needs to be perfect harmony between who I am and how I live, if I do not walk worthy then God is not being glorified in my life, in fact instead of being glorified he is being torn down. Other people cannot believe that he did incredible things for me if what he did for me doesn't have an effect on how I live.

Look what He's done for me!
✔  Blessed us with all spiritual blessing ✔  Chose us before the foundation of the world ✔  Made us to be holy, to be blameless ✔  Predestined us ✔  Adopted us to praise him ✔  Given us redemption and forgiveness ✔  Made known to us the mystery of His will ✔  Give us an inheritance ✔  Granted to us the Holy Spirit ✔  Given us resurrection power

Thank you for for all of the amazing things that you have done for me. I pray that my life will show how much I appreciate the gift of salvation and the many blessings that you bestow on your children.

Serving God Is Serious Business

Who will you serve? It's time to choose.

Joshua 24:14-15  "So fear the LORD and serve Him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone.  But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."

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We all like choices, just about nobody likes to be forced to do something, it helps us to be content if we are given some options to choose from. God gives his people the right to choose, we are never pushed into anything we don't want to do, sometimes we make a conscious decision for him and sometimes it is a choice made out of neglect, the result of not making a conscious decision.

God lets us decide who we will serve, will we serve him or will we live for ourselves? We look at the people of the Bible and see the big picture of their lives and it can be difficult to realize that following God was a daily decision, they had to choose to live for God moment by moment. Just like us, they had plenty of other options, there were plenty of gods to choose from.

Beware of neglect, we need to realize that if we do not make a conscious decision to serve God then we will probably realize someday that we are serving ourselves. That's because our old sin nature will naturally pull us away from God and what his will is for our lives.

Serving God can be an inconvenience, it can be costly and lonely but serving God is a requirement for those that want to please God. Serving God will require you to use your time and talents for him and yes it will require you to pull out your wallet and dig around and use your money for his work.

Malachi 3:17-18 “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

What an awesome decision that we have to make, and with great consequences, God says that there is a close relationship between serving him and being righteous. God is pleased with his people when they are obedient, he calls them his "special treasure," helping your neighbor, taking care of the sick, going on a mission trip, are just a few ways to please God, there are so many needs around us that we can meet.

"For Christians, service is not something to be tacked onto our schedules if we can spare the time. It is the heart of the Christian life. Jesus came 'to serve' and 'to give'—and those two verbs should define your life on earth, too." - Rick Warren

I cannot serve two masters, as it says in Matthew 6:24, I have to make a conscious decision to serve the Lord with my time, talents and treasure. I need to be about my Father's business.

Related articles

• Be A Servant (devotionsfordisciples.com)
• Cross Bearing (getmorestrength.org)
• Christ + Nothing = Everything (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)

Pray For Missions

Missions without prayer at best is miserable at worst it is impossible.

It is easy to underestimate the power of prayer to do God's work, we can easily begin to think that the success of our work depends on us doing the right things in the right way at the right time to the right people. Working for God with that kind of perspective will eventually lead to misery and our work will be almost impossible.

We need to realize the power of prayer in missions so that our work will not be hindered, prayer leads us to the power source, it helps us to remember who we are working for. God invites us to work for him but we cannot do it successfully on our own.

We are engaging in spiritual warfare, if you think that missions is about strategies, activities, programs and needs then you are going to be miserable, the devil is going to walk all over you. There is so much more beyond the physical realm.

As we go into the mission field we need to pray, when we see others going into the mission field we need to pray. There is a battle out there that needs to be fought and it cannot be done without the power of prayer.

Here are some strategic areas that we need to pray for:

Pray for Open Doors

Colossians 4:2-4  Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.  3  Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about His mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.  4  Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

Pray for Boldness in Witness

Ephesians 6:19  And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.

Pray that God’s Word Will Spread

2 Thessalonians 3:1  Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.

Pray for Protection

2 Thessalonians 3:2  Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.

Pray for God’s Guidance

Colossians 1:9  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Pray for Refreshment

Colossians 1:11  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,

Crying for The Lost

Why doesn't it break our hearts?

Jeremiah 4:19-22 My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries. 20 Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation. Suddenly my tents are destroyed; in a moment my shelters are crushed.

21 How long must I see the battle flags and hear the trumpets of war? 22 “My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!"

Jeremiah 6:6 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Cut down the trees for battering rams. Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, for she is wicked through and through.

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Imagine if you knew that God was upset that he was preparing for judgement. Imagine that you received a message from God that your nations idolatry, arrogance and pride were going to be judged very harshly and that many people that you know are going to die.  It shouldn't be that difficult to imagine, after-all, we have received that message from God.

Jeremiah is brokenhearted for the people of Israel, it reminds me of Jesus when he was approaching Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-43), he was very sad because he knew that they would soon see the destruction of Jerusalem. Just like in Jeremiah's time, the people in Jesus time thought that they were safe from anything happening that would be too bad, they thought that surely God wouldn't destroy his temple. (Jeremiah 7:1-15) That's sort of like saying that going to church is going to save you, wrong!

Jesus cried for the people around him

Matthew 9:36-38  When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  He said to His disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few.  So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields."

It is so easy to disconnect to the reality of the spiritual condition of those that are around us and the future that those people have. We have been given a message from God, warning us that our city, our nation and even the entire world is full of people that are not ready for the judgement day that is coming. How much do we really care? Do we have a burden for the lost?

I need to pray for my friends, for the people at work, for the people that I see while I am doing everyday life. I need to have the same burden that Christ had, or how about the burden that Paul had? (Romans 9:1-3) I need to allow God to use my hands to serve, my feet to pursue the lost sheep, my mouth to speak up for him.

My prayer:

Break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause, as I walk from earth into eternity. -- Hillsong United

Stirred But Not Changed

Lord, give me a burden that's so strong, that it will last when my tears are gone.

Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

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Just wanted to share a song, I have never heard this song, I just heard about it last night at choir practice when my minister of music spoke about his trip to Africa.

This song by Lanny Wolfe says a lot about the way that we live and the attitude that we have toward the work that Jesus gave us to do. We hear about the work that the believer is to be doing and we vow to do more but then life gets in the way.

Our main work is the continuation of Jesus Christ’s mission while he was here on earth. His people are empowered by the Holy Spirit  to give a  witness for him, to preach, teach, baptize and make disciples of all peoples.

Stirred But Not Changed

Often times my heart has been stirred by the things that I have heard,
About so many who have never heard God's word,
And though tears would fill my eyes all to soon
I'd realize though my hearts been stirred my life has not been changed.

Chorus:
I'm so tired of being stirred about the lost who need to hear.
I'm so tired of being stirred that His coming is so near;
I'm so tired of being stirred till I cry bitter tears.
I'm so tired of being stirred but not being changed.

Have I heard it for so long that He's just another song?
Has the story lost its thrill that I once knew?
Lord, give me a burden that's so strong,
That it will last when my tears are gone.
I'm tired of what I've been. Lord, make me over again.

Chorus

But this time Lord change me let the work begin just now,
This time Lord change me please change me some how,
This time Lord change me let my life be rearranged,
For I'm so tired of being stirred but not being changed

Each time that I return from a mission trip I feel very strange going about the normal routines of life, the stuff that seems to get in the way of the really important work that needs to be done, there appears to be no time to follow your heart.

Lord change me so that I live mission minded everyday; keep me from being calloused to the needs around me.

On A Mission Trip With An Attitude

Men of the Bible Series - Jonah didn't like the results of his mission trip.

Jonah 4:1-12  This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.

2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord?

That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.

3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”   >> Read more...

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They didn't have big tents back then, but whatever methods that Jonah used when he arrived in Nineveh it was effective and he got amazing results. All of the people reacted to his message and got right with God, it's a pastors dream come true, or was it?

Jonah knew how God operates, he knew that the people of Nineveh could be drawn back to the Lord and that he would forgive them and when they did Jonah said to God "I told you so." There is an attitude problem here, instead of being pleased that God used him to bring revival, Jonah wanted to see God's judgment poured out.

As if showing mercy were an imperfection of the Divine nature, which is the greatest glory of it. It is to his sparing, pardoning mercy, we all owe it that we are out of hell. -Matthew Henry Commentary

God received the glory despite Jonah and his sorry attitude, if he had to go to Nineveh then he wanted it to be for a good cause, and as he saw it their destruction was a good thing. The number one motivation for participating on a mission trip should be love, we have to see past the sin and look at the person, Jonah didn't love the people of Nineveh.

I have to remember that I have enjoyed the benefits of God's love and mercy and I have to be willing to pass it on to others, if God desires to show mercy then I need to show mercy and rejoice, after all I didn't do anything to obtain enough status that I should reap the benefits of God's mercy.

Help me to see the world through your eyes Lord.

You might like to read: Men of the Bible blog series.

Tips For Fulfilling Our Mission

We have been given a very serious assignment, after all we are on a mission from God, too bad that most of us don't take it seriously enough.

Here is a simple list that will help us to live to fulfill the mission that God has assigned to all of his children.

I saw this blog post this morning and wanted to keep it fresh in my memory so that I will apply it to my life.

8 Ways to Easily Be Missional
   Article by: Jonathan Dodson

Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: “As you go, make disciples….”; “Walk wisely towards outsiders”; “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt”; “be prepared to give a defense for your hope”.

We can be missional in everyday ways without overloading our schedules. Here are a few suggestions:

Read more.....

Christianity With Passion

How do we become more passionate and burdened about getting beyond the four walls of our church?

From a book that I am reading called "Dangerous Intersections" by Jay Dennis and Jim Henry

Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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The last thing that Jesus told us to do before exiting our planet must become our magnificent obsession.

The question is how do we get the opportunity to make disciples?

There was a day when people flocked to the church and our outreach program existed only so that we could talk people into returning to church. Now days it is a different scenario, today we have to reach people that have possibly never had any exposure to church at all.

I could talk about programs and what kind of programs, but as this book states, the main problem isn't the programs but rather our main problem is the lack of passion.

We need a lot more passion but how do we "get" passion?

Never Get Over Being Saved.

It is difficult to keep the excitement that a lot of new Christ followers have but sooner or later we get over the wonder of salvation. I need to remember that the God that created the whole universe also created me and wants to spend eternity with me and he did what had to be done in order to make it happen.

Never Get Used To The Fact That Hell Is Real And People Are Going There Everyday.

The doctrine of eternal punishment doesn't get much time in the pulpit anymore, it seems that we shy away from the unpopular and unsavory, but we cannot allow ourselves to forget reality and live with apathy, choosing to ignore the ruin of those around us.

Pray Daily For A Burden For The Lost.

If I remember the reality of hell then having a burden for the lost will come about much easier but only God can give a burden that leads to action.

Pray Daily For Divine Appointments.

This is a good way to break out of the routine "rut" of daily life, how exciting would it be if my life was "interrupted" everyday with God's plans? His plans for my day must be a lot more exciting than the everyday stuff that I fill my calendar with.

Emphasize Building Relationships With The Lost.
Relationship building "visual" Christianity precedes "verbal" Christianity, if it isn't real to me and if it isn't having very much impact in my life then why would somebody else be the least bit interested?

Provide Programs And Events Where It Is Easy To Invite Unchurched Friends And Family

Seeker friendly opportunities to be exposed to God's people, stuff that will captivate the interest of the unchurched.

There are way too many Christians that mess around with church on Sunday and go on without any focus on why we are here. I need to be focused on the mission that I am supposed to be working on, how can I not take up this mission when I think about the serious consequences of those that die each day without a Savior.

I need to pray for people and for opportunities, real serious deliberate prayer. There is a world full of people that need to know the reality of their eternal destiny, hell is real and they don't need to be there.

Pass It On

Invest your life in somebody.

2 Timothy 2:2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

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The Christian life is a journey, a journey that isn't much different than the first disciples, some days we are faithful and strong, other days we lose sight of our mission and we can look a little too much like the world than we should, some days we are full of questions and doubts.

So what is a disciple? According to the online dictionary a disciple is: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy. To make a disciple means to reproduce a follower of Jesus Christ who is committed to living a transformed life, one who obeys the Word of God, and makes the mission of disciple making his or her top priority.

Jesus gave us the command now the question is how to we make a disciple?

The first step in the discipleship process focuses on conversion. You can't become a disciple if you're not a follower of Christ.

The second step in the discipleship process spans a life time of spiritual growth. Jesus twelve disciples went from weak and feeble in their faith to men that were spiritually mature, they didn't become disciples overnight, they had three years of Jesus pouring his life into them.

The third step in the process involves becoming a disciple maker. Jesus teachings and his deeds built these guys into true disciples that could go out and make more disciples. Their weak little faith matured into the bold, dangerous faith that would cause them to sacrifice their own lives for the truth that they believed.

Other than Christ example of creating disciples, Paul's relationship with Timothy is one of the clearest examples of how to make a disciple. Paul said "Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you" (1 Tim 1:18) Paul went on to teach Timothy how to live as a Christ follower. Later Paul told Timothy to take hold of the teaching that he received from Paul and study it, make sure that reliable people can confirm those teachings and then pass on the truths that he has learned to others so that they can in turn pass it on to others.

This multiplication strategy is how the good news has spread for thousands of years. If this multiplication process were to go unbroken then there would be no problem in reaching the world with the good news.

The mission focuses on making disciples. The strategy involves investing in others who in turn make more disciples.

Every Christ follower should grow spiritually and become mature. As we grow more mature we need to get our own Timothy that we can disciple as we continue our own growth. I need to stay focused on investing my life in others so that I can be a part of this multiplication process of making more disciples.

You gave us a mission Lord that is very doable if we would all keep our focus on the mission, help me to grow as your disciple and then in turn invest my life into others so that I will be obedient to your command to "Go and make disciples."

I’m On A Mission

No time to waste!

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Acts 1:6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" 7 He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

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I have been studying about leaders in the Bible and learning that the only leaders that were pleasing to God was the leaders that were willing to do anything that God asks them to do. That brings about the next area of focus for my Bible study.

What is it that Jesus told us to do?

Jesus told his disciples that they are on a mission from God, he told them that as they go about their everyday lives he wants them to make disciples, the man that wants to be obedient and pleasing to God must make this mission a top priority in life.

Remember Jesus started his ministry by telling his disciples "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Now as Jesus is preparing to leave he confirms the original purpose that he had for calling these guys, he wanted to make them fishers of men.

Not only are we to go and evangelize next thing that is essential for us to nurture these converts and turn them into disciples, we have to teach them how to live by instructing them from the word of God. We are on a life long journey of growth spiritually, we are to become more mature as we are pushed along by our desire to be more like Jesus and to please him, and as we grow we need to help grow others that are around us.

Notice that Jesus didn't tell us to go and make offering givers or teachers or chair stackers, he just told us one thing that we are to make and if we make disciples then all of those other things will get done as well. Doing all of those other things will become a part of the mission of getting one more soul for Jesus.

There are many missions that we can base our life on, commonly pursued missions that the world pursues are: pleasure, money, fame, influence, and power. We need to set aside the fleshly desires and take up a higher purpose for life.

My mission will decide how I spend my time. Those worldly pursuits can easily get out of control and can occupy your time and keep you from fulfilling the mission that God has given us. We cannot say we are willing to do all that God asks unless we are willing to adopt the mission of making disciples as the top priority in our daily lives.

Help me Lord to keep my mission in focus, help me to be obedient to your command to make disciples. Help me as I work in my church to make discipling men a top priority.

Mission Accomplished

scripture
John 17:1-8  After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2  For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.

3  And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4  I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5  Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

6  "I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7  Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8  for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

observation
I love to work on a project and see it come to completion, one of my most satisfying projects was the mission trip to Athens in 2008. In this passage just before the end of Jesus ministry he talks to God and tells the Father "I have accomplished my mission."

Jesus was here on this planet on a mission from God, a mission that nobody understood, a mission that was above the human wisdom of the day that told Jesus to exalt himself and bring glory to himself by setting up his kingdom on earth. Jesus mission was to bring glory to his Father instead of putting the spotlight on himself.

If we are supposed to be like Jesus then we should ask "what did Jesus do" and the only answer to the question is that Jesus brought glory to God by completing his work that God sent him here to do.

Can we say that we are fulfilling our mission? Do we bring glory to God everyday instead of elevating ourselves? Do we know what our mission is?

application
I need to bring glory to God by living my life for him, Jesus didn't live for his own benefit and I need to put aside my selfish human desires and live for something much greater. I must live each day as "His man on His mission"

prayer
I want to live each day with urgency as I remember that I am on a mission from you.

Related articles

• The Night That Changed Everything (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)

Paul's First Mission Trip

scripture

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Acts 13:1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.

2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

observation

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Jesus told his disciples to go and make more disciples, the Holy Spirit was very specific when he told the church to send out Barnabas and Saul. The time had come for the church to begin reaching out to the Gentiles, it was time to spread out beyond Jerusalem and Judea, and Barnabas and Paul were the ones chosen by the Holy Spirit.

Of course there was going to have to be resistance, right away they are confronted by a sorcerer and false prophet, then there were the Religious leaders. They were tempted with pride as one town decided that they were gods and Paul was stoned and left for dead outside the town.

application

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It seems to me that if you are going out to spread the gospel you better be certain that your calling is sure. I don’t want to ever lead a team on a mission trip that has not been set apart by the Holy Spirit and sent off with prayer.

prayer

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Help me to always rely on your strength and to be in prayer each day. Thank you for salvation, may I become more eager to share your good news with others.

The Master Gardner

scripture

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Matthew 13:24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner's servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Matthew 13:36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

observation

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Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount that the first thing for us to do is to seek his kingdom, now he begins to show us what the kingdom of heaven is like.

Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven begins on this earth and that we will have to live scattered among the weeds. The Devil is not going to allow us to live in a nice pretty field full of wheat for he just loves to scatter his weeds all around us. We have to live side by side with the devils children who are working to carry out their father’s desires.

John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.

It is normal for a gardener to pull up weeds as soon as they are found but in God’s garden he allows the weeds to stay so that the wheat does not get pulled up in the process of pulling up the weeds. Sometimes the weeds can look a lot like the plants that you are trying to grow so you can't hardly tell what you need to pull, God wants to protect his wheat so it is better to wait.

I also suspect that God doesn't want the weeds pulled right away because he can perform a miracle in horticulture and maybe some of those weeds can become wheat someday.

God is going to have the angels clean up his field at harvest time so that the wheat will have good strong roots, it is the angels that will determine between the two, it isn't my job to judge.

application

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My main concern should be whether I am wheat or if I am a poser and I should be concerned with helping to save the weeds from the fire.

prayer

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You told us Jesus that the harvest is ripe; I pray that you will send more workers into the fields.

Send More Workers...the field is ready.

scripture

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Matthew 9:35  Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 10:1  He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

observation

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Jesus saw hurting people everywhere that he went and he was greatly moved by their problems and needs. Jesus was there in the beginning before the fall so when he was looking upon the crowds he was probably able to recall what it was like before the fall and how we were intended to be in fellowship with God. What a heart break to know how it was supposed to be and walk amongst us and seeing how poorly mankind had done.

Jesus told us to pray for more workers because there was so much need and the people were so ready for the good news and then he gave his disciples the power and authority to do the job.

The rest of chapter ten gives the disciples their directions on how to do the work that Jesus has called them to do. They were going out into a hostile environment which is a fact that has not changed. I have never gone to do mission work in a hostile environment and I don’t think that I would be very bold in the situation; thankfully there are workers that are willing to go even into the most difficult situations.

application

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I need to be bolder as a worker in God’s harvest.

prayer

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Help me Lord to be a bolder witness for you, there are plenty of ripe fields that are ready for harvest. I need to realize the power and authority that you have given me to do the job.