Spiritual Avalanche!

This past Sunday morning, my first official Sunday at Concord www.concordministries.net, we began the Spiritual Avalanche series. The first time I taught this was at an office Bible study. God really used it in my life and the more time I spent with it, the more it grew. It is a message based on Psalm 1 and is actually in the book production phase with Tate Publishing. In fact, first of next week I have a long questionnaire I have to fill out for the publisher.

The premise of the book is simple, don’t live a sliding life but rather an abiding life in Christ. It has been challenging to me personally because of the committment throughout to memorize Scripture. I know, I know, I am a preacher memorizing Scripture should come easy to me, right? Not so much. I really have to engage what little brain I have into digesting the Word of God and making it part of my life. As a result, I have sense that God growing me personally already.

The fellowship at Concord has also jumped into the action. Our first Scripture is Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” (And yes, I typed that from memory!) I was overwhelmingly pleased when I heard this past week how many people are putting the verse to memory. James, our music pastor, and I visited a couple this past Wednesday. God is doing a work in their life and they actually quoted the verse to us–almost perfectly–without any prompting. The wife said she had texted the verse to her husband that week. The men I met with this past Wednesday night were all asking one another what the verse was for the week. It was cool to see so many focused on it. One of the coolest parts of the week was to hear how someone took the verse and put it in a zip lock bag. They put the bag in their shower so they would see it every morning. Hey, whatever works!

If you are interested in joining us throughout this study, visit the website above and click on the webcast icon. You can get involved as well. Learn with us how to keep from experiencing a Spiritual Avalanche in your life.

Levi

We are back from Ethiopia!

Check the link to get some highlights of First Day’s mission to Ethiopia! http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=muhguwcab&v=001T6qkBtjSWrMYa3og-COkdAb146nzkgKf6xlM2wHwuL47MK2vK-ZSonjBq3uKxZK4gUlebnewdv9PFqw5qQn5QLqfyC7KEcYCnyi-RhUbsiojKYjCw3EqHb9Kw4jnJzvWBzWhBN1uurgeR0GECFoiBozBj3gYeqK5

Missions Devo Day 5

Day Five (Read Acts 17:22-31)

People have an innate desire to worship. Some choose to worship false gods made with hands. Others choose to worship gods they have made up in their minds, while there are still those who believe themselves to be the god of their lives. All is idolatry. Yet, this innate desire to worship is a foundation for repentance and faith in Christ to be established. Paul was aware of this on Mars Hill.

“While I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:22)

Paul began at their heart for worship. He went on to share with them how there is one all- powerful (Acts 17:24), all-sufficient (Acts 17:25), and completely sovereign God (Acts 17:26). The one true and living God has determined where men would be born and at what time they would be born so that they would have the maximum potential to call on God (Acts 17:27). In fact, it is God who actually gives all humanity a right to live and breath (Acts 17:28). The only reason God has not poured out divine judgment upon those who do not know Him at this moment is because He is patient. [God] is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

However, there is a day which has been fixed by God whereby He will judge the world.

“He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

The evidence of God’s future judgment is the resurrected Christ. If Christ were still in a grave somewhere, we could not believe that He would judge the world as Scripture promises. Since He is alive, the promise of His coming judgment is true.

There are still some 4.5 billion people on the planet who do not know God. Thus, their eternal judgment looms. Some of which you are among right now. You will meet them for the first time. You will have the ability to both show the love of Christ to them as well as share the love of Christ with them.

The sovereign God of the universe has chosen to put you, a light of the kingdom, among them. He has placed eternity in their hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Man has a desire to worship. Like Paul, we share with them the UNKNOWN GOD. We magnify the God who has created all things. We expound upon the God who needs no one to serve Him. We tell them how God is actually pursuing them for relationship through the Gospel of the risen Lord.

Creation declares the existence of God. A man’s conscience bears witness to the law of God. Christ has displayed the love of God. The church, you, a member of those who have been called out, shares the gospel of God. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.” (Romans 10:13)

God has set the table by giving people an innate desire to worship. You serve the food by delivering the Gospel of Christ.

Missions Devo Day 4

Day Four (Read Acts 17:1-15)

Nothing can stop you from fulfilling God’s call in your life as a believer. You are given the divine mandate to be a witness. You have been given the divine power to be a witness through the Holy Spirit. While facing spiritual battles, you will be given boldness by the Spirit to continue to move forward. As God uses you however, there are things you must watch closely for in your life.

Paul and Silas were seeing great fruit in Thessalonica. Many were turning to Christ and immediately joining Paul and Silas in the Gospel mission. However, not everyone was pleased with it.

But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. (Acts 17:5)

When God works, people tend to get jealous. This happens among those who are believers and unbelievers alike. In this cast, unbelievers were jealous of the influence that Paul and Silas had among the people. As a result, they sought to capture Paul and Silas and bring them among the town’s people. Most likely, they assumed that the town would stone Paul and Silas to death and thus, silence their message.

While some may be jealous of you as you join God’s mission who are unbelievers, let me encourage you not to become jealous of God’s use of another person for His kingdom. For example, as you are involved in ministry this week, perhaps you have noticed God using someone in a very special way. Guard your heart against jealousy. This can actually keep you from being used by the Holy Spirit at all.

As well, there may be those who are jealous of you as you minister this week that have no relationship with God. Jealous people will say and do things to try and silence your witness. Notice, however, that God gave divine protection to Paul and Silas.

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:10-11)

Paul and Silas escaped from the jaws of death in Thessalonica. They had every reason to stop their teaching and preaching of the Gospel. However, despite the threat against them, they continued to share the Gospel. This was not the first threat nor the last that Paul would face in his ministry. He wrote to those at the church in Corinth:

“In everything we commend ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers yet true; and unknown yet well known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:4-10)

Nothing could stop Paul from continuing the ministry he was called to accomplish. Determine to let nothing stop you. People will say things about you that are untrue, press on. There will be times when you will suffer greatly for Christ, press on. You will be ridiculed and you will be forsaken by some, press on. Trust in God’s divine protection.

Missions Devo Day 3

Day Three (Read Acts 13:1-12)

Where the Spirit of God is at work, the enemy is also at work. We must remember that advancing the Kingdom of Light pushes against the Kingdom of darkness. Therefore, we are in a spiritual battle. Paul asserts:

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12)

Paul was met head on in his ministry by the enemy’s attack. The New Testament church in Antioch desired greatly to advance the Kingdom of God. Therefore, they were praying for the Spirit’s direction on how best to accomplish the mission of Christ.

“While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3)

So it began, Saul (later called Paul) and Barnabas went about preaching the gospel of Christ. They were affirmed by the church at Antioch but sent by the Holy Spirit. As was Paul’s custom, he first began in the synagogues. He had an open door to speak in the synagogues because he was a Jew. As they went through the Island they met a man who was a Jewish magician named Bar-Jesus.

Elymas (the Greek name of Bar-Jesus, a transliteration of the Arab word for magician) the magician was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. (Acts 13:8)

This is a picture of the enemy’s ultimate desire. He looks to turn people away from the faith. That is, the enemy desires for no one to place their full trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. As a result, he will move quickly when the Spirit begins to work through believers. He plants doubt in the minds of unbelievers and causes great distractions for those who are doing the work of God.

As you carry out the mission of Christ, be full aware that the enemy desires to cause great distractions as well. There are false teachers who will steer people away from a pure devotion to Christ. There are cultural traditions which turn people’s hearts away from the one true and living God. The primary attack of the enemy against the truth of Christ is false teaching. There are a plethora of thoughts which go against the message of the Gospel of Christ. Paul writes to the Corinthian church,

“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

When faced by the opposition of Elymas, Paul, controlled by the Holy Spirit, quickly dispelled his accusations:

“You are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10)

The very one who was seeking to cover the eyes of the people from seeing the truth about Christ, was immediately blinded. As a result, what the enemy sought to make bad, God used it as an opportunity for good.

Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord. (Acts 13:12)

What do we take from this passage? There are churches praying for you right now. You have been sent by the Holy Spirit to join God in His mission to reach the world. You will be attacked spiritually. However, pray for the Spirit’s boldness to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy. Let nothing keep you from fulfilling Christ’s call. The Lord will be honored in this and there will be those who believe the message of grace.

Missions Devo Day Two

Day Two (Read Acts 8:25-40)

We must never presume we know our plans for the day. Planning without any consideration of God at work around us is naïve. We are completely unaware of what the next twenty-four hours holds much less the next twenty-four seconds. “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14) We must live with a supreme sensitivity to God the Holy Spirit.

Philip lived in such a manner. A deacon in the first century church, he was sharing the Gospel of Christ in Samaria watching God do a great work. He was in the dead center of a great awakening. Then it happened. God invited him to leave this fruitful ministry and go to a desert road. God gave zero information about what Philip was to do there. However, without any hesitation, Philip went.

God is always at work drawing people to himself through Christ. This time was no exception.

“There was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.” (Acts 8:27-28)

Philip had no way of knowing this was taking place. However, God, who knows all things, was using His Word, written by Isaiah, to begin calling this Ethiopian. God has established those who know Christ to be His witnesses. As such, God would not bring alongside this eunuch a witness of His Son, Philip.

“The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot.’ Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘Well, how can I unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” (Acts 8:29-31)

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, he preached Jesus to him.” (Acts 8:35)

One could wonder what would have happened if Philip had ignored the Spirit of God prompting him to go. He could have said, “Lord, they need me here in Samaria. There are many who I need to share with here. I will go as soon as I finish what I started here.” We are thankful this was not his response.

There are people among us that God is currently drawing to himself. Therefore, we cannot presume to tell God what we are going to do today. We must be willing to submit to the fact that God may have a specific person He desires us to speak to. Who knows, God may have called you all the way to this place to speak to one single individual. You could be part of God’s redemptive strategy in bringing someone to eternal life.

As you go about your ministry today, pray for God to make you supremely sensitive to His Spirit within you. Never forget, God is at work all around you. You must be willing to leave what you are doing, as great as it may be, to simply speak with one lone person that God is working on. Start from God’s Word and share Jesus without fear. You will find that when you open your mouth, as Philip did, the Spirit will give you the words to say.