How To Face Change With Confident Anticipation

In preparing to end this past year and to start the new year, it seemed only appropriate to talk about the subject of change. 

Life seems to offer us one guarantee and that is that change will happen. Change is something we tend to fear and become anxious about because we do not feel we are in control of life when it happens! But is that really true?

I tend to look at the subject of “Change” as falling into 1 of 2 categories:

• Planned Change:  This is change that we have had a part in planning.  It can involve things like:

1.  A career change

2. A move to a new city

3. Retirement

• Unexpected Change:  This is the kind of change that seems to be thrusted upon us and were were clueless that it was going to take place. These can include:

1. The death of a loved one.

2. Unexpected illness

3. Being laid off from your job.

The problem with both of these ideas is that they focuses on the wrong thing!  The focus is all on us! It's all about what "I Want" or "That I need to be in control".  It's all "I", "I", "I"!  It's a pretty self-centered approach to looking at change!

But are we really to be the focus when facing change?  Is it really all about us?  I don't think so. 

The good news is that regardless of whether the change was PLANNED OR UNEXPECTED God was the one in control all along and He was not caught off guard by the change.  Instead, it was in His sovereign that caused the change to occurred. 

If we trust in God and allow the change He brought about to grow us to become more like Jesus in how we respond and act, then we are promised that it will always work out for good!

Now in light of what I just said let me encourage you not to be short sighted when you consider if some change worked out for your good or not.  Our perspective should go far beyond this temporal life that we live it and go on into eternity.  MUCH OF WHAT WE EXPERIENCE HERE IN THIS LIFE WILL NOT BE ACTUALIZED WITH GOOD UNTIL WE ENTER INTO THE NEXT LIFE!

Let's remember what 1 Cor 2:9 says!

“However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him—“

Let’s be honest, most of us have no idea all the great things that God has in store for us through the trials, tribulations and the changes he has us go through in this life.

So, how do we face change with confident anticipation?  Does God's word have anything to say that will help us?

Let's read Romans 8:28

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (NAS)

This verses gives us 3 clues that will help us when it comes to understanding change in our lives:

I.  God Is The One That Has Caused The Change To Take Place

Did you notice the verse in Romans starts off by saying, "... God causes all things ..."?  It is God who has brought about the circumstances that will create the needed change.  When things change it is because God is at work.  

It's not as if God was caught off guard by the change and then has to react to it.  No! God was the author of the change and the circumstances that were used to bring the change about.  

This one insight should bring you tremendous comfort when considering the changes that may or may not occur during this next year.  You can face the future and any new change with confidence because you know who was the author of the change.

II.  The Purpose Of The Change Is To Bring About Good!

Look again at what Romans says, "... God causes all things to work together for good."  That right for GOOD!  Even with the most dreadful of circumstance God has a purpose and plan at work to bring about good.

Take a look at Joseph the son of Jacob who was sold into slavery by his 10 older brothers and then afterwards thrown into jail because of being falsely accused of trying to rape his masters wife.  God used all those circumstances to get Joseph to be in the right place at the right time, so he could be used by God to save lots and lots of people from starvation.  Joseph himself even acknowledges this truth when he says to his brothers, much later, that even though what they did, they did with the intent to harm him, God intended it for good and to save many.   All the pain, all the heartache, all the betrayals and all the suffering Joseph had to endure was part of the plan God used to bring about good. 

Shouldn't it be comforting to know that God will never waste a hurt?  That will use all your pain and suffering to bring about good? Shouldn't we be able to face each new change that happens in our lives with confident anticipation knowing that some how God is going to use it for His glory and the good of others?

III.  This Promised Is Reserved Only Those Who Have Been Called By God!

" ... to those who are called according to His purposes."  

Not everyone who goes through painful changes are promised that good will come out of it!  No, only those who have been called by God and have a relationship with Him.  

In Noah's day when God brought about a huge change by flooding the world only Noah, his wife, his 3 sons and their wives benefited from the good that came about.  

Here's the wonderful thing about this great truth:  If you have a personal relationship with Christ because you have personally believed in His death, burial and resurrection and have surrendered control of your life over to the care and control of Christ, then this promise is for you.  

It's not just reserved for the superstar christians!  It is for all who have called upon the name of the Lord.  And that includes you. 

3 Social Media Posts That'll Help You Shine Christ's Light

When planning to use social media to help share Jesus with others and declare God's Glory then there needs to be some serious consideration given to the kinds of posts that you should make.  In this video I am going to share with you 3 kinds of post that will help you make most of Christ in your part of this dark world.  This is part two in a series called: HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF CHRIST!  To see Part 1 CLICK HERE! 

How To Use Social Media To Shine The Light of Christ: Part 1

Social Media is a major part of the our lives! We use it everyday. We stay connected with people through it. Therefore, it has become a major tool that needs to be used wisely to shine the Light of Christ brightly in our part of this dark world. 

I am going to do a series of posts to help Followers of Christ use social media wisely and Biblically in order to share Christ to a world that desperately needs him.  Check out this first video and see what you think. 

3 Important Facts About Knowing God's Will

As the Apostle Paul was writing his letter to the church at Colosse he tells the Christians there about a prayer that he offers up to God on their behalf.  This prayer contains some important information about knowing God's Will.  Read what it says,

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through spiritual wisdom and understanding ..."  Colossians 1:9 (NIV)

In this one verse we can learn 3 important facts about knowing God's will.  They are:

#1:  Knowing God's Will Is Of Utmost Importance.

Did you notice as you read the verse about that Paul said this this prayer is a prayer that he is praying for them daily?  For the Apostle Paul making sure that new believers in Christ were fully grounded in Christ was essential and if he was to accomplish that goal it was of the utmost importance that the new believers knew the will of God! 

Paul knew that being fully matured in Christ would require new believer to know what God's will is.  It would be impossible for them to be strong in their faith and not know God's will.  That's why he prayed daily for those coming to faith.  That's why his prayers contained petitions that those new believers would know and understand God's will. 

How Important And Essential Is Knowing God's Will To You?

How often do you pray for the new believers that you know about? That they would know God's will?

#2:  Knowing God's Will Is An Act Of God.

Did you notice in that verse that Paul was asking God to fill them with the knowledge of His will?  Who's doing the filling?  God is!  Who's the container being filled?  We are!  

Why is this important?  Simply because, you don't discover God's will - no instead it is God who reveals His will to us.  If we are going to understand what God's will is - it is because God has opened our eyes to see the truth of His will.  If God doesn't enlighten us we could never understand His will.  

#3:  Knowing God's Will Requires Spiritual Wisdom & Understanding.

Finally Paul states in his prayer that he is asking God to fill us with his will through spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Not human wisdom and understanding but spiritual wisdom and understanding.  The wisdom of this world does not and cannot comprehend the will of God.  To the world the will of God sounds like foolishness.  Understanding God's will requires us to have spiritual wisdom and understanding that come from God. 

The word for "wisdom" means the ability to understand what God is doing and the word for "understanding" means the ability to apply what they understand.  You see not only does God want us to understand His will is but He also wants us to know how to apply His will to our everyday life.  God doesn't just tell you what His will is to keep you informed - God shares his will with you because he wants you to join Him in what He is doing. 

Please leave a comment sharing what you think and share this post with your social media of Facebook and Twitter. 

Gospel Conversation Training In Glens Ferry, Idaho

Pastor Billy and His Family!

This Saturday, June 3rd I will be in Glens Ferry, Idaho at First Baptist Church with Pastor Billy to lead his congregation in the Gospel Conversation Training.  It is his desire to see his church raised up, trained up and unleashed to go share the Gospel to every person in their ministry field until there's no place left to share. 

Powerful Missional Is Determined By Whom You're Trying To Please!

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5 Steps To Igniting a Powerful Disciple Making/Church Planting Movement

Step 1:  Entry Stage

Before you can begin to see a powerful missional movement of Disciple Making/Church Planting you need to have an "ENTRY STRATEGY" in place.  What's an entry strategy?  It's your initial plan for how to bring the Gospel of Christ into your mission field so that it takes hold.  It's your plan for developing a "Beachhead" in your mission field that will allow you to expand and take over the rest of the area for Christ.

Step 2:  Gospel Sowing Stage

Once you've established your presence in the mission field by implementing your entry stage strategy, now you need to sow the Gospel of Jesus Christ liberally!  How will you do it? What will be your strategy for getting the Good News of Christ out to ever increasing groups of people?

Step 3:  Nurturing Growth Stage

Just like any harvest fields that begin to show growth there also need to be the watering and nurturing that continues to until its time to harvest, so there needs to be the nurturing of new believers in spiritual growth and obedience to Christ and His commands.  What is your strategy for help new believers grow in Christ and become reproducing disciple makers?

Step 4:  Harvest and Bundling Stage

Now its time to harvest!  In this analogy the harvesting means church formation.  Every great movement results in the formation of new churches.  What is your strategy for taking this new believers and growing disciples and help them form into new churches.

Step 5:  New Missionary Leader Stage

The final stage is the raising up, training up and unleashing of new apostolic leaders who will go and ignite new movements in different places.  What is your strategy for identifying, training and commissioning these new missionaries?

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Encouragement For Living A Powerful Missional Life

In this video you will get to hear Steve Addison interview Daniel Reece on how God reached out to him and then has been using him to ignite a powerful movement here in North America.  WATCH & BE ENCOURAGED!

If you know of other Christians that would be encouraged by this video then share it with them on Facebook & Twitter.  

I would also encourage you to check out Steve Addison's website for more great information at:  MOVEMENTS.NET

ARE YOU PREPARED?

Sometimes we just don't know when God will give us an opportunity to share His Good News!

SO BE READY AT ALL TIMES!

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Being Successful As A Follower Of Christ

Recently I read this quote by Rick Warren the Pastor of Saddleback Church and I thought it had a lot to say to us who claim to be Christ's followers and what it means to be successful.  Here's what it says:

“Being successful and fulfilling your life's purpose are not at all the same thing; You can reach all your personal goals, become a raving success by the worlds standard and still miss your purpose in this life.” ― Rick Warren

As I read this I started asking myself some questions:

• Is it possible to be successful but be successful at the wrong things?
• Can I be successful and still not fulfill my God given purpose?
• What are God's standards for success for His people?

As I pondered these questions 2 thoughts came to mind that I believe are so very important to remember:

THOUGHT #1:

How horrible it would be to stand before God on the Last Day (Judgement Day) and begin to share with Christ how I had accomplished so many great and different goals only to hear Jesus reply with, "But that's not what I had ask you to do or accomplish!"  Wouldn't it be terrible to have placed your ladder of success and ascended it - only to have realized once you got to the top that you had place it on the wrong wall!  I want to hear the words of my Lord say to me, "Well done good and faithful servant."

God's plan and ministry for us is to be His ambassador to this spiritually dark world by making God's appeal for people to be reconciled to Him as if it was God Himself  making the appeal through us. Therefore, we are to be His ambassadors that intentionally engages in the ministry of reconciliation.  That is accomplished through disciple making.  So, the question bids an answer: How successful are we at making disciples for Christ?

THOUGHT #2:

Success from God's perspective is very different from success in the world's perspective!  The world says you are successful if you accomplish great results but the Bible says we are successful when we are obedient to what He has commanded of us.

Over and over again we hear the Bible teach that obedience is better than sacrifice; or for us to be doers of the word and not hearers only, and to teach new believers to obey all that Christ commanded. Jesus even shared that being obedient to Him is an expression of our love for Him.  

We work and train to do our best at what Christ commanded but in the end success isn't defined by the results but by our willingness and faithfulness to do what He said.  The results are in God's hands but our obedience is in our hands.  

So, in the final analysis as Followers of Christ we need to intentionally pursue the role of being Christ Ambassadors, to sharing the Gospel to those still lost in spiritual darkness and to obeying all that Christ has commanded.  If we can do that then we are successful!

Evaluating Your Perception Of Church

How do people outside the church view the church?  How do people inside the church view the church? Does our perception of the church have an effect on the relevance we give to the church? And is our perception of the church Biblical and accurate?  These are some of the question we are going to look at in this post.  I pray it gives you something to chew on and help you become a better Light of Christ in your part of this dark world! 

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Do You Feel Inadequate Making Disciples For Christ?

Many of God's people feel inadequate in the obedience to Christ in the making of disciples of all peoples!  Why? A lack of competence and confidence!  Watch this video to learn the solution to this problem.  

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3 Things To Improve Your Ability To Love

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:8-12 (NIV)

1.  Remember Your Debt Of Love You Can Never Repay.

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another ..."

The first place to start when it comes to improving you ability to love is to remember that God first loved you when you were unlovable.  God loved us while we were still in the middle of our sinful condition and He demonstrated that love by having Jesus die on the cross to take the punishment that we deserved for our sins. Then God after Christ's resurrection offered forgiveness of sin as a free gift if we would only receive it by faith.  How can you pay back that kind of debt?  You can't but we can pay it forward by loving others the way Christ loved us. 

2.  Regard Others Like Yourself

"Love your neighbor as yourself ..."

The next place to go for improving your ability to love is to remember that the scripture tell us to love others as we love ourselves.  Just as you take care of yourself - in the same way you should also take care of others.  If you are one who doesn't love yourself very well then do what Christ said.  "A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another like I have loved you."

3.  Refuse To Harm Others

"Love does no harm to a neighbor."

And finally, in order to improve your ability to love others better you should always remember that love does not harm others.  When we love people it is our intent to build them up - not to tear them down!  It's to heal them - not injure them! Here's a good question to ask yourself before you talk to someone or do something to someone:

"Is what I am about to say or do going to harm this person?"

If the answer is "yes" then don't do it!  Why? Because love does no harm!

Now that these suggestions and go out into your part of this dark world and love people liberally! Shine the Light of Christ brightly by doing loving deeds in such a way that God gets the glory for it. 

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A Biblical Story On Joining Christ On His Mission

In Acts 8:26-40 we have an amazing story about an ordinary christian by the name of Philip who was used by God in an amazing way.  From it we learn some powerful principles for shining the Light of Christ brightly in our part of this dark world. Watch and see what you might learn.

Take a few moments and share your thought as a comment.

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A Bible Story Of Hope

Today I want to share with you a true story from the Bible that should bring you hope and encouragement.   It will make clear to you that Jesus truly does love you and is willing to change your life. 

If you are a fully devoted follower of Christ that wants to join Christ on His mission then I highly encourage you to learn this story for yourself and begin to share it with people over and over again.

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How To Be Credible In Living A Powerful Missional Life!

In today's post I want to share with you about our credibility for living a missional life.  How will people know that what we are sharing about Jesus, about the Gospel or the forgiveness of sin is accurate and true?  The answer comes back to our credibility!  Are we credible? Can people believe us?  Watch this video and see what God is telling you!

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Who Do You Share The Gospel To Next?

Once you've shared Jesus with every person you personally know who do you share it with next? That is going to be the topic of this post!  After all we are not released from sharing the Good News simply because everyone we personally know has already heard.  So, who do we tell next?

Who Do You Share The Gospel With Next?

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Powerful Missional Living Requires Confidence In Our Personal Prayer Life

If you are going to have a powerful missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ in your part of this dark world then you will need to have confidence in your prayer life!  You will need to have confidence that God hears and will answer your prayers!

In this video I am going to share with you one Biblical way you can have that confidence.

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1 Hard To Swallow Explanation For Why God's People Suffer

Have you ever asked a question, sincerely wanting an answer, but once the answer was given you really didn't like it?  When it comes to why God allows His people to suffer no answer is really comforting.  The answer itself actually might be very hard to swallow and accept.  

In today's post I am going to lead us to examine one explanation for why God's people suffer. But let me be up front with you from the get go; I don't think it's going to taste very good in your mouth.  It's true but hard to accept.  And while it may be hard to accept it is also at the same time very challenging and noble.  Take a moment and read the verse that I am going to be using as my text.

"For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." 2 Corinthians 4:6-12 (NIV)

I just love how verse 6 starts off.  God who made the light shine in darkness also made His light shine in our hearts through the knowledge of God that we see in Christ.  GOD MADE HIS LIGHT SHINE IN US!  That's just powerful.  We didn't discover the Light!  We didn't create the Light!  We did't even put the Light inside ourselves.  The Light of Christ that shines through us is a work of God from start to completion.  It was through God's initiative and by His own hand that the Light of Christ lives in us and shines through us.  In other words, we are God's chosen vessels, that He is displaying His light through in our part of this spiritually dark world.  That's our purpose and our mission.  POWERFUL!  SIMPLY POWERFUL!

We contain Christ's Light in "Jars of Clay" or in our broken and feeble mortal bodies.  Now here it comes. This is the part that can be hard to swallow!  God has chosen to display his light in the broken down and beaten up bodies of His saints in order to show the world that the power His saints display are not from them but really from God.  

God wants to make sure that the world realizes who is truly the one powerful!  God wants to make sure that we, his saints, don't get the credit for what He has done and for the credit that He deserves.  And to insure that God's power and Light is manifested to the world in such a way that He alone get's the glory, He (God) allows his saints to experience trials, tribulations, persecutions and all kinds of hardships.  In dying with Christ, through persecution, the life of Christ is manifested through us!

Here's why I also call this explanation and this kind of lifestyle noble:  It's what the Apostle Paul says at the end of these verses.

"So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." 

It's NOBLE because all this suffering and dying is intended for the eternal life to be made available to others who still need to experience it.  Nobility isn't define by what you say you believe but through your acts of righteousness out of your beliefs.  What better act of righteousness is there than a person willing to suffer and even die so that others can see Jesus and receive eternal life?  DON'T YOU THINK IT SOUNDS VERY CHRIST LIKE? ISN'T THAT EXACTLY WHAT CHRIST DID FOR US?

As Followers of Christ we are still here on planet earth for one reason and one reason only!  That reason is simply so we can live a powerful missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ in our part of this dark world.  If nothing else is accomplished and we simple shine Jesus in a way that God gets the glory and not us then we've accomplish all that is of real importance. And as we accept our role of being the Light of the World then we need to also accept the very real possibility that suffering will be a part of that shining.  

4 Tricks Of Satan

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:11,

"Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil ..."  (NAS)

The word "schemes" in the Greek is the word "methodia" and literally means:

"To trick or lie with the purpose to deceive"

Satan's tactics in spiritual warfare are attempts to trick or lie to us with the aim of deceiving us to believe and do things that are contrary to God's will and way and once we have fallen to his deception we suffer the consequences of our choice. 

But here's the good news!  The scripture has identified for us Satan's schemes so that we are not unaware of them.  Today I am going to list 4 of those tricks and/or lies.

#1 TRICK/LIE:  SATAN IS CONCERNED ABOUT YOU

Read Matthew 4:1-4 and you see Satan trying to tempt Jesus to turn some rocks into bread. Satan is trying to sound concerned about Jesus being hungry.  His trick was that he was offering a solution for Jesus' suffering motivated by concern.

But Satan wasn't concerned about Christ. He was just pretending in order to trick Jesus so that Jesus would fall into his temptation.  

Satan's temptation to us will often come across as a compassionate solution to our problems or sufferings.  But don't fall for his trick. Once you yield and give in to Satan his true nature will come out and you will see that he doesn't really care for you at all.

#2 TRICK/LIE:  SATAN MISUSES THE BIBLE TO CONFUSE YOU

Read both Matthew 4:6 and Psalm 91:11-12 and you will discover that Satan was using scripture to tempt Jesus to once again sin.  But in his use of the scripture he actually misuses it by omitting a whole line from the verse in Psalms.  The line he omits is

" ... to keep you in all your ways ...".  

Which is a very important part to leave out. Why? Because God dispatches His angels to help us keep the ways of the Lord and not to sin against God.  

Satan knows the Bible! And he will misuse it to get you to believe that what is really a sinful act is a Biblical act.  IT'S NOT! DON'T BE FOOLED.  Know your Bible - study your Bible so you won't be fooled by Satan's misuse of it.

#3 TRICK/LIE:  SATAN CAN PROVIDE A SHORTCUT TO REACHING YOUR GOALS

The third temptation of Jesus by Satan is found in verse 8 of Matthew chapter 4 where he takes Jesus onto a high mountain to see all the kingdoms of this world and then offers them to him if Jesus would only bow down and worship him.  

What was Satan doing?  He was offering Jesus a shortcut.  Why was Jesus there?  To become King of all the earth!  God's plan was going to lead Jesus to the cross to accomplish that goal but Satan's plan was quicker, easier and less painful. 

Understand that Satan will often try to get you to see that his plan will accomplish the same goal that God has for your life but it will be quicker and again less painful.  You will be tempted to take it but don't be fooled.  IT IS A TRICK TO GET YOU TO SIN!

#4:  TRICK/LIE: SATAN DISTORTS WHAT GOD SAYS TO GET YOU TO DISTRUST GOD

Go to Genesis chapter 3 and read the temptations of Adam and Eve and what you will find is that Satan was trying to deceive them to believe that God really didn't have their best interests at heart and that God was trying to hold them back from being all they could be.  Satan said,  

"You won't die. God knows that on the day you eat of it you will become like God knowing good and evil." 

In other words Satan is saying that God is trying to control you with the fear of death and hold you back from becoming like Him.  Satan loves to trick people to believe that God doesn't really care about them so they won't trust God.  DON'T BELIEVE IT - IT'S A TRICK!

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