1 Missional Living Idea On How To Saturate Your Community With The Gospe...

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Counting On Christ's Power And Presence For Missional Living

DOES THE THOUGHT OF TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS MAKE YOU NERVOUS?

If you answered "yes" to that question then you are not alone! Many Christians all over feel the exact same way.  However, I got some good news for you!  I too once felt that way.  Watch this video and see what you think.

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HOW TO TRANSITION ANY CONVERSATION TO TALK ABOUT JESUS!

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5 Tips For Doing Missions God's Way

 

5 TIPS FOR DOING MISSIONS GOD'S WAY:

Ephesians 2:10 & Matthew 5:14-16

#1:  Remember That God's The Designer Of Your Life - Not You! 

"For we are God's workmanship ..."

Did you notice that it said that we are God's workmanship?  He is the one who created us to be what He wants us to be.  We don't tell God what we will or won't be!  God is the one who determines the role that we are to play in the area of missions.

#2:  The Venue For God's Creative Work Is In Christ - Not In The World!

" ... created in Christ Jesus ..."

The place that this transformation and the new creation that we are becoming happens "In Christ"!  We are to be enveloped by Christ, like a cocoon, that allows the transformation of our lives to take place.  We will never become what God intends for us to be and the kind of missionaries He intends for us to be if we try to do it in a worldly manner.  WE MUST STAY CONNECT TO JESUS!

#3:  The Purpose For God's Creative Work Is To Produce Ministry Through You - Not For You!

" ... created in Christ to do good works..."  

The work of ministry and missions is not for us but to be done through us for others.  Our work of missions isn't primarily to make us fee fulfilled or good (thought it will) but the primary purpose for ministry and missions is to help others still caught in the bonds of sin.

#4:  The Missional Work You Are To Do Is Determined By God - Not You!

"... which God prepared in advance. for us to do."  

Did you see that? God is the one doing the preparing of the work that you and I will do.  We don't chose. We are to trust and obey God in doing the assignment that He has given us to do.

#5:  We Are To Do Missions In A Way That Bring Glory To God - Not Us!

"Let your light so shine before men that they see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven."  Matthew 5:16

When you do good deeds as a ministry to others it is not for you to look good and thereby get the praise - it is to make God look good and for Him to get the praise. ALWAYS!  


I hope you found this devotional to be helpful and encouraging.  If you did please take a few moments and share this devotional on Facebook and Twitter.  Take care and God bless.

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POWERFUL MISSION LIVING DOESN'T COME FROM OUR STRENGTHS BUT THROUH OUR WEAKNESSES!

Living a powerful missional life doesn't happen because you have learned how to harness your strengths and apply it to the area of missional living!  As a matter of fact it is impossible to live a powerful missional life from your own personal strengths but instead, those who are intentionally pursuing a missional life, find that it is the exact opposite that is true.  It's not from our strength but through our weaknesses that we find the power necessary to engage in a powerful life on mission.  It's an oxymoron for sure but it's a truth that cannot be denied found in scripture.

POWERFUL MISSIONAL LIVING COMES NOT FROM OUR STRENGTHS

BUT FROM OUR WEAKNESSES!

If the truth be told, God loves to use weak people to exhibit His great power and the good part is that everyone has weakness'.  Some have physical weakness', others have emotional weakness', then their are those who may be consider weak intellectually.  The kind of weakness isn't the issue.  God loves to use all kinds of weaknesses and He love to use all our weaknesses. However, the most common way people, including Christians, like to deal with their weaknesses is to try to defend them, hide them, excuse them or deny them.  We defend them by saying that they are natural and that everybody has them. We hide them when we try to cover them up so others won't recognize them as a weakness but actually view them as a strength.  We excuse them when we try to to convince ourselves and others that though it was wrong it really wasn't to bad.  And then there's just the out and out denial that we ever exhibited such a weak trait.  But for those who live powerful missional lives a different way of dealing with their weaknesses has been developed.   Read this scripture to get a glimpse of what I mean:

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Cor. 12:8,9 (NIV)

According to God's word through the Apostle Paul's example Christians who want to live powerful missional lives need to learned to "BOAST" or "DELIGHT" in their weaknesses.  Now that's a totally different way of looking at our weaknesses! And it looks totally WRONG!  Beginning to embrace this way of thinking about our weaknesses is going to take some time to wrap your minds and our hearts around it.  It's a totally different perspective that comes across totally crazy.  But in order to get to the place where we can accept this new way of thinking we need to look at Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV),

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Why does this way of looking at our weakness look so backwards?  Because we don't think about things the way God thinks about them!  His perspective is totally different about life than our perspective!  He is Holy and perfect and we are sinners through and through.  Of course God's way of viewing life would be completely opposite from your way.  We think God wants to use our strengths but instead we learn that God wants to use our weaknesses.

Why?  

Why does God chose to use our foolish weakness to accomplish His extraordinary work?

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.  Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him."  1 Cor. 1:25-29 (NIV)

Why?  So that no one, not a single person, can stand up and boast of the great things he has done for God!  The only boasting that God want to happen, when His extraordinary work is accomplished, is us boasting of:

THE GREAT THINGS GOD HAS ACCOMPLISHED EVEN 

THROUGH OUR WEAKNESS!

So, if you want to live a powerful missional life where the Light of Christ shines brightly through you and into your part of this dark world, then you will need to embrace the concept that God wants to accomplish His great work through your weakness.

PRAISE GOD FOR THIS WAY OF DOING THINGS!  

FOR IT IS ONLY A TRUE AND LIVING GOD THAT CAN USE EVEN OUR WEAKNESSES TO ACCOMPLISH HIS GREATNESS!

I want to be an encouragement to you as you pursue a life on mission with Christ.  Each week I send out via email a video devotional on Missional Living for FREE!  If you would like to receive this free subscription to MISSIONAL LIVING DEVOTIONAL then just fill out the subscription form below.

So, here's the challenge we are faced with!  Whose perspective on our weaknesses are we going to accept? Ours or Gods?  If we accept ours we will never truly engage in the missional life that Christ has called us to because we will always feel our weaknesses disqualify us. But if we, by faith, accept God's perspective then we will wholeheartedly accept the mission because we will understand that nothing, not even our weaknesses, can hinder us, let alone stop us, from living that powerful missional life that Christ is leading us into.

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ARE YOU PURSUING THE RIGHT MISSION?

That's an interesting question but an important question especially for those who are Followers of Christ!  Are you pursuing the right mission? Are you pursuing Christ's mission? Do you even understand what the mission is? If you can't answer these questions then how do you know that you are being obedient to what our Lord Jesus has left us here to do?

Here Are Some People Idea's Of What The Mission Is:

• Some feel that the Christian's mission is just to do good deeds!
• Some feel it is to invite people to come to church with them!
• Some people think it's just to live a good and moral life!

Now while each of these things have a place in a Christians life are they in and of themselves or combined together make up what Christ's mission that each of us should be pursuing?

Let's take a few moments and look at what the Bible says about this very important subject.  In Matthew 28:16-20 we find a part in the Bible come to be known as the Great Commission.  The reason why it is called Great Commission is because it describes most clearly what the Christ's mission is.  Read with a clear mind what the words of Christ actually says:

"All authority in Heaven and on earth have given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And low I am with you always, even to the end of the age."   

From this verse we learn that there is really only one mission!  That mission is to "Go Make Disciple".  That phrase is the only part that is written in the imperative mood thereby, making it a command.  The baptizing and teaching for obedience is only to support and help bring about the command of making disciples.

THE MISSION IS TO MAKE MORE DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST!

We can discuss more extensively in a different post on what exactly is a disciple buut for the purpose of this post let's just say that a disciple is a FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.  Not a halfhearted follower of Christ and not a Sunday only follower of Christ but a Fully Devoted Follower!

Here's how two of the guys I mentored define a Disciple of Christ:

• Ed Villareal says "They are Hard Core Followers of Christ."  
• Larry Munguia says, "They Are Jesus Freaks"

Though we use different phrase all three of us are basically saying that Jesus' Disciples are people who love Him more than they love anyone or anything else and they are crazy for Him.

Now is that the mission you've been pursuing?  You can't make disciples for Christ like that unless you are like that! Helping others become disciples is more caught than taught!  It's infectious!  In order for you to help someone become fully devoted to Christ, you have to be fully devoted to Christ.  That's just the way it works!  You can't teach it in a classroom. You infect others with it because you are infected with it.

If you are just trying to get people to attend a church service with you or just doing good things for people but not helping people fall desperately in love with Jesus and fully committed to Him, you're pursuing the wrong mission.  So I want to end with the same admonishment as that of Jesus.

GO MAKE DISCIPLES FOR JESUS!

MAKE FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS!

HELP PEOPLE BECOME HARD CORE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST!

MAKE IT YOUR MISSION TO RAISE UP A MOB OF JESUS FREAKS!

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THE ORDINARY CHRISTIAN

WORRY

No matter how you cut it, life is filled with trials, tribulations and difficult times and as a result people tend to worry and fret over what will become of it all.  But for those who are Followers of Christ who are actively and intentionally joining Christ on His mission of redeeming a lost world the trials, tribulations and difficult times are multiplied.  In addition to all the normal difficulties of life Missional Christians also fight a spiritual battle of Satan trying to discourage the believer. But in the midst of all these struggles we hear the voice of Jesus ring out saying,

” … do not be anxious for your life … ” Matthew 6:25 (NAS)

Notice what Jesus didn’t say,  He didn’t say, “Try not to worry to much!”  No, He just told us to stop it!  But how?  How can you stop worry about the unknown that follows a trial and tribulation?  Well lucky for us Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, not only tells us to stop it but He also tells us the cure for the worried life and how to experience peace instead!

This is so important for those who are intentionally living a missional life because this kind of lifestyle will be filled with lots of difficult trials and tribulations and if your faith is not firmly rooted in Christ you will literally worry yourself to death as you attempt to live a missional life.

So today, we are going to look at 4 reason why we shouldn’t worry!

4 Reasons For Why You Shouldn’t Worry  (Matthew 6: 25-34)

#1:  Because There’s More To Life Than Your Worries!

”  do not be anxious for your life. Is not life more than food, and body more than clothing.”  (v. 25 NAS)

The truth of the matter is that when we worry or get anxious about something we are focusing on a very small part of our life.  Whether we worry about food, clothing, health, work, or finances the truth of the matter is that these are just a small part of what makes up our  lives.  Life is also filled with many other things. These others things are good and pleasing and amazing.  When we worry we are choosing to not look at the good things that are going on in our lives.

#2:  Because Worry Doesn’t Accomplish Anything!

“And who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.” (v. 27 NIV)

Think about it for a moment!  What does worry do for you?  What does it change?  Does the energy you spend on worry help to fix the issue or the problem?  No!  Absolutely not!  Can worry give you a longer life?  No. Actually, science now says that worry can shorten your life.  It can contribute to all kinds of physical problems that can lead to a diminished healthy life.  So, I ask what good does worrying do for you?  No good at all !

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LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF CHRIST ON A WEEKLY BASIS.  I am offering you a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to weekly Missional Devotionals that's designed to encourage, empower and equip you to live powerful missional lives.  SIGN UP BELOW!

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Carol Skaggs Amazon Book Review of: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: A Journey Into Missional Living

"This book is honest and powerful. Jay was very transparent sharing a raw, painful memory that ultimately catapults him out of complacency as regards witnessing to others. (You've got to read this!) He tells it like it is within Christian circles. 

We are all so comfortable shining our light within our churches, but when it comes to sharing with the community at large, or even within our own sphere of influence we are falling down on the job. 

Jay lays out a step by step plan to begin living a missional life. Starting with our own testimonies, giving God the glory as we seek ways to bless other people's lives. This opens up doors to sharing the Good News of Christ and ultimately helping someone to consider Christ. 

I recommend this book to everyone, but especially Christians!"

Carol Skaggs


THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE was written to provide practical help for those Christians who desperately want to live an effective missional life that shine brightly the Light of Christ through them and into their part of this dark world but just don't know where to start!  

Through this book you will receive inspiration and encouragement as you read a modern day parable of two brave little light that left the safety and comfort of their big and bright house to shine their light in the dark world and help those unlit wicks that were out there.  You will receive Biblical insight as you learn 5 Biblical principles necessary for missional living; you will learn about 3 essential skills necessary for living a missional life and how to make them as natural to you as breathing is.  And finally, you will be walked through a simple process for designing your own personalized strategy for missional living.

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: A Journey Into Missional Living is available at Amazon.com in both paperback and kindle formats.  

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ALL CHRISTIANS WHO DESIRE TO LIVE AN AUTHENTIC MISSIONAL LIFE WHERE THE LIGHT OF CHRIST SHINES BRIGHTLY!

ORDER YOUR COPY 

HERE AND NOW!

Missional Living For Ordinary Christians

TODAY IS YOUR LAST DAY TO GET YOUR FREE BOOK!

Today, October 12th, is your last day to get your FREE book: 

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: 

A Journey Into Missional Living

Don't miss out on this opportunity!  It is is available on Kindle for FREE until the end of today - October 12, 2013!

From a modern day parable of two Little Brave Lights, as they venture out of the safety of their well lit mansion to shine their light in the dark world and from the gleanings of 5 Biblical principles from the Sermon On The Mount, the reader will learn about the 3 essential 

skills necessary for Missional Living and will be able to create their own 

personal strategy for being on mission with Christ.

CLAIM YOUR FREE COPY HERE!

You do not need a Kindle to get the book! You can still read it for free on any computer or tablet using Amazons free software.  GET YOUR FREE KINDLE APP HERE!

RECEIVE WEEKLY ENCOURAGEMENT TO LIVE THE MISSIONAL LIFE

As Followers of Christ we are called to be the Light of the world and to live a missional life!  But, if the truth be told, that life is sometimes a discouraging life!  While it is rewarding - it isn't easy!  Many a person can start off strong shining the Light of Christ only to get so down hearted and discouraged that they quit mid-stream.  The writer of Hebrews admonishes us,

"Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  Hebrews 10:25

The purpose for gathering together as Followers of Christ is to provide mutual encouragement to live this missional life that Christ commanded us to live.  

WE CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH ENCOURAGEMENT!  

Life and Satan will try to beat you down if at all possible and we need each other to help pick each other up and join hands in fighting the good fight.

It is with this purpose for mutual encouragement that I in conjunction with The Ordinary Christian have created a resource to provide weekly encouragement for all those seeking to be the Light of Christ in their part of this dark world.  This resource is a 3 to 6 minute video devotional that I send out on monday mornings.  They are designed to empower, encourage and equip Christians to live that missional life that shines the Light of Christ. 

The subscription to these devotionals are absolutely FREE!  They are my gift to you!  I do this so that we might see God ignite a Divine Illumination unlike the world has ever known and in order for me to be found obedient to what God commanded in Hebrews 10:25!

Here is a sample of the devotional for you to check out and if you find it to be of value and would like to subscribe I have a link at the bottom of this page for you to fill out!  Watch the video and be ENCOURAGED!

Now that you've watch the video would you like to subscribe to it?  I would encourage you to do so!  What do you have to lose?  They're FREE!  Take a few second click the link and fill out the subscription form!

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

Ordinary Christian Youtube Channel

HAVE YOU DISPLAYED THE LIGHT OF CHRIST IN A WAY PEOPLE SEE JESUS?

Watch this video and then go devise a plan where you can display the Light of Christ so that lots of people in your part of this dark world can see your good deeds and glorify our Father in Heaven!

CLAIM YOUR FREE GIFT TO ENCOURAGE 

YOU IN MISSIONAL LIVING

THE ORDINARY CHRISTIAN YOUTUBE CHANNEL

A NEW BOOK: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: A Journey Into Missional Living

From a modern day parable of two Little Brave Lights, as they venture out of the safety of their well lit mansion to shine their light in the dark world to minister to the Unlit Wicks that live out there and from the gleanings of 5 Biblical principles from Jesus' Sermon On The Mount, the reader will learn about the 3 essential skills necessary for living Missional Life and will be led through a simple process that will help the reader to create their own personal strategy for being on mission with Christ.

Pastor Ron Barker from First Baptist Church of Tehachapi, Ca gives This Little Light Of Mine a 5 STAR REVIEW.  And has this to say about the book,

"Jay has written a book that is, first and foremost, a very practical approach to misssional living. He has Biblical background and has applied it very well in my opinion. The work of taking the Gospel to a lost and dying world has always rested in the 'everyman'. Anyone who will take the time to read this book and apply the timeless principles will find themselves following the way of the Master. Well done Jay!"

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: A Journey Into Missional Living is now available on Amazon in both paperback and kindle.  

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE & NOW!

ARE YOU LIVING A MISSIONAL LIFE BUT COULD USE SOME ENCOURAGEMENT?

THEN I HAVE A FREE GIFT FOR YOU TO ENCOURAGE YOU!

CLAIM YOUR FREE GIFT NOW!

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. 

CLAIM A FREE GIFT FOR MISSIONAL LIVING HERE!

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!