Tuesday, September 24, 2013

HAVE YOU DISPLAYED THE LIGHT OF CHRIST TO SHINE BRIGHTLY?

Light by its nature must shine and Jesus tells us in the Sermon On The Mount that we are the Light of the world.  We're not the light switch that turns on the light but we are the light.  By virtue of your new birth in Christ you were created to shine the Light of Christ into this dark world.  The only question is: Have you displayed the light in such a way that people can see it and be drawn to it.  Take a few minutes and watch this weeks missional devotionals and contemplate for yourself if you have properly displayed the Light of Christ.


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Saturday, September 21, 2013

ARE YOU SHINING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO?



ARE YOU SHINING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO?



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

MISSIONAL DEVOTIONAL: You Are The Light Of The World

In this Missional Devotional I want to empower you helping you understand the Bibles clear teaching about your identity in Christ.  On the Sermon On The Mount Jesus said:

"YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF 
THE WORLD!"

Today be empowered and go live out the identity that Christ has declared you to be!


If you would like to make sure you get these devotionals each and every week then I invite you to subscribe to the Missional Devotionals and have them emailed to on Monday morning.  
Consider this my FREE GIFT to you!


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

A ROADBLOCK TO MISSIONAL LIVING: A Lack Of Sincere Love For The Lost!

The best well-known Bible verse is John 3:16.  It teaches us that God's love for the world (sinners) is what compelled Him to send His Son to die on a cross, so that people of this world wouldn't have to experience the wrath of God but instead everlasting life.  It was God's love that was the motivation for Christ’ mission of seeking and saving that which was lost.  Love was the motivation for why Christ was willing to sacrifice His own life, so that we might live.  It was love that made it possible for God the Father to, not only send, by to sacrifice His only Son.

Now, that’s simply amazing when you think about it.  Let me try to put in a context that will help us wrap our minds around this amazing kind of love.  Imagine for a moment that you have a beautiful child that means the world to you.  You love him, care for him and this child brings you such tremendous joy that you would do anything for him.  But now imagine a neighborhood filled with drunken bums that have made a shamble of their lives through drug, alcohol and addiction.  God’s love that sent Jesus to die on the cross for us who are sinners would be like you sending that beautiful child to die on behalf of those drunken bums.  That’s hard to imagine isn’t it!  Who could actually do that?  Well, God did and there’s only one reason why He did, and that because of His amazing love for us. We don’t deserve His love and there’s nothing about us that would compel Him to love us but it’s because it’s in God’s nature to love!  That’s why Jesus went to the cross for us. 

GOD LOVES US!

The roadblock that keeps us from joining Christ on this mission is because we don’t love others like that.  Oh, we might love our family like that to some degree or we might love one of our friends like that but what about your neighbor next door that you’ve hardly met?  Do we love our co-workers enough to sacrifice for them so they might experience God’s forgiveness of sin? 

Some might be willing to share with others they don’t know if it doesn’t cost them too much or if it’s not to inconvenient.  But are willing to offer up sacrificial and unconditional love for them so they might hear the Good News of Christ?  Do we really have that kind of love or do we fall short in this area of missional living?

But it is the unconditional and sacrificial love that Christ share with us that He now commands us to share with others!  Listen to the words of Jesus concerning His expectation for how we are to love the people.

“A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35 (NIV)

Did you notice that Jesus said that He was giving us a NEW COMMAND?  That means that what He is telling us is not an option for us on whether we will obey or not.  When Jesus says, that this is a command, HE EXPECTS THE COMMAND TO BE OBEYED.  And what exactly is that command? 

To love others like he has love us!

We are not to love others any oh way!  Jesus has provided for us, by his own life, a perfect example of how He wants us to love others.  We are to love others like He loved us! 

And Jesus’ way of loving is both: 

UNCONDITIONAL & SACRIFICIAL! 

Our love for the people of this world should never have an “IF” in it.  We should never say to a person, “I’ll love you (IF) you do this for me or (IF) you do that for me.”  We are to love the people of this world regardless if they ever love us back and regardless if they ever do anything for us. 


Not only should our love for the world be unconditional but it also needs to be sacrificial.  It will COST you to love people like Christ loves!  And many times that cost is extensive!  It can cost you your time, money, and emotions!  I believe that is one of the biggest reasons why Jesus said that part of the conditions to FOLLOWING Him included DENYING YOURSELF.  You really can’t love like Christ, sacrificially, if you are always trying to please your own self.  Sacrificial love many times will require the giver to suffer on behalf of the recipient.  The list can go on and on how loving others the way Christ loves can cost us.

So, how does a Follower of Christ get to the point where they can love the lost like Christ loved us?  I think it starts with truly believing that the people of the world if they were to die without Christ will be experience God’s wrath and punishment on Judgment Day!  This isn’t just a figure of speech that the Bible uses but this is truly an upcoming world event that is going to happen!  Christ is going to return and He is going to bring with Him the wrath and Judgment of God the Father with Him.  For those who don’t know Him, who have not repented from their sinful lifestyle and has not sincerely confessed Jesus as Lord will experience that wrath by spending an eternity in hell!  DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT?  Do we understand that we too were once headed for that same place?  And do we believe that we might be the only opportunity that some people have to hear and receive the wonderful gift of God’s love and experience His forgiveness? 


For a Follower of Christ there is no greater purpose in this life than, out of gratitude to God and love for our fellow man, than to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Christ in order to save as many as possible and experience God’s forgiveness.

Here's a website to help empower you, encourage you and equip you for living an intentional missional life:  THE ORDINARY CHRISTIAN!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

TAKE MY HAND AND WALK WITH ME

Jesus said: 

Come unto me 
and I will set you free
Take my hand 
and walk with me 
and I will set you free!


He heals the sick, 
makes the blind to see
rebukes the Devil 
and makes the demons flee!
And He's still the only God for me 







Listen brother
to what I say

For He's the Way.
Your life can change 
in just one instant.
Is this your day


He heals the sick, 
makes the blind to see
rebukes the Devil 
and makes the demons flee!
And He's still 
the only God for me.


(Vick West, Jay Moore, Linda Moore)

#MissionalLiving for Ordinary Christians is all about taking Christ's hand and walking with Him.  As we do we will see and experience some pretty amazing things!





Tuesday, September 3, 2013

JESUS TEACH ME TO LOVE LIKE YOU

 Jesus teach me how to love like you!  
Jesus teach me how to love like you!

The Bible says that there's no greater love
Than the one who lays down his life.
He lays down his life, so the one he loves
Can continue to live their life!

God sent His Son to die on the cross
He died to set us free!
He freed us from sin and cleansed us within.
He died for you and me.

There's no great power than the power of love.
The love that will set you free!
It's the power of love, that comes from above.
His love for you and me!

Jesus teach me how to love like you!  
Jesus teach me how to love like you!

Monday, September 2, 2013

MISSIONAL DEVOTIONAL: Missional Living Is More Of A Lifestyle

"MissionalLiving is more of a lifestyle than it is an activity"

The Bible tells us to encourage one another and spur one another on to do good deeds.  That's exactly the purpose of these devotionals.  They are designed to empower, encourage and equip you for #missionalliving where the Light of Christ shines brightly.


Today, think about how you, an #ordinarychristian, can make missional living part of your lifestyle!  And remember GO SHINE THE LIGHT OF CHRIST!

A ROADBLOCK TO #MISSIONALLIVING: Setting Your Mind On The Things Of Men & Not On The Things Of God

“Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter.  ‘  Get away from me, Satan!’ he said.  ‘You are seeing things merely from a  human point of view,not from God’s.”  Mark 8:33 (NLT)
God’s mission and plan was to take Jesus to the cross but Peter’s plan was to keep Christ safe and from harm.  How often do our thoughts, plans, ideas or just personal opinions are in direct opposition from that of God’s and His will?  It’s not because we are deliberately trying to rebel against God but yet as we see with Peter even our best intentions can be totally opposite of what God is doing!
Listen to what the Bible says,
There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”  (Proverbs 14:12 NAS)
Not everything that we think is “right” is actually “right” with God and because of that we need to seriously seek God for Him to reveal to us what is right and what he is doing!  Wouldn’t it be horrible to be fervently fighting for a particular position only to find out that you were fighting against God?


    3 Ways You Could Be Fighting Against God And What He’s Doing:

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