"We Are ALL On A Mission From God"

BibleFood "classic" Devotional [slightly updated] 

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and YE SHALL BE WITNESSES unto ME both in JERUSALEM, and in all JUDAEA, and in SAMARIA, and unto the UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH." - Acts 1:8 



Over the years I have ministered to the lost and hurting through various means. Some periods in my life were more full of sharing Christ, other times just seemed as dry as could be.  I have cried out to God to help me get back to sharing the Gospel with the lost and hurting more.

I believe God led me into a form of evangelism that I had not used often enough or effectively in the past. That is what I'll call "Lifestyle Evangelism." What I mean by that [which is different than some people's definition] is that we don't just share Christ on our weekly "witnessing outreach," where maybe every Friday night we flood the streets and pass out tracts, or every Saturday we go door to door witnessing, etc. [don't even see this much anymore in 2014]. In NO way are we not to do those things if God has put us in such an outreach, but don't think that's your only time to witness. There are still all the other days of the week to witness for God. We are truly ALL on a mission from God to be available 24 hours a day to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I don't consider myself an evangelist - I really don't. But I do believe I am on a mission from God to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. About 10 years ago I took a job that was not easy for me. ALL I would hear in my heart was "You are a missionary to your fellow employees." As long as I kept my focus on that I was fine, but when I started to just think of my job as a job, that is when I ran into problems (just being honest)!  Also, the LORD was moving me on to a new mission field [billiard industry, see my site at: www.christianpoolplayers.com], which involved what I consider a mission trip to work with a billiards/pool ministry (www.gospeltrickshot.com). It was a glorious time of taking an INTEREST in the lost and hurting people around me, and it was a great time of ministry. But that was only for a week! So, did I come home and just stop sharing about the lost and hurting? Absolutely not! I was called on a mission from God BEFORE I went to Las Vegas, while I was there, and now back in my homeland (Atlanta, Georgia)! THE MISSION STAYS THE SAME!!!

Acts 1:8 says, "...YE SHALL BE WITNESSES unto ME both in JERUSALEM, and in all JUDAEA, and in SAMARIA, and unto the UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH."

We are to be God's WITNESS of the Good News of Jesus Christ in our Jerusalem, then in whatever may be our Judaea, and our Samaria, and then to end all debates, God says, "...UNTO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH." I guess that leaves NO place for us to not be His witnesses!!! Does that mean we have to run up to everyone we meet and ask them do they know Jesus?  Personally, I don't think so. But let me tell you when you look at EVERY place you go as your MISSION FIELD, i.e., your job, going to the grocery store, coaching kids in sports, filling up the car at the gas station, and where ever else your day brings you - I'll tell you it's exciting. Do I share Christ everywhere I go? No! But I try to stay alert to God opening a door to minister with Christ to someone. I believe the more alert we are in Christ and available. the more opportunities the LORD will put us in. I'm sure I have missed many opportunities to share Christ, but Praise God I'm learning to be alert and available as His minister (servant) on a 24/7 basis.

This devotion is NOT to get you into a guilt trip or bondage. I've known some who would try to put you in that state. Just be available to God 24/7 and believe for opportunities. I'm telling you they'll happen!!!

I also want to close with what I'll call "Friendship Evangelism," which is what God has used me most often in for the last year or so. Without EVER compromising, I have built relationships with family, neighbors, coworkers, and strangers to give me opportunity to sow seeds (big or small) into people's lives over a period of time. In Las Vegas it was over a few days or a week. Here in Atlanta, GA, and on the Internet (in some cases) it is brief, and in other cases it has been over a year or more. But they are being built, and in God's timetable He will open opportunities to share Christ with them more and more. In some cases they will be even coming to YOU to have you tell them more about Jesus. This is NOT loving the WORLD (I John 2:15-17). But loving THOSE IN THE WORLD, until we see them come from this dark world to being a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20).

Take this devotion as an encouragement, and allow God to open the opportunities, just be alert and available :-)

"Torn – Trusting God When Life Leaves You in Pieces" (BOOK REVIEW)





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Today's Review 

I was given this book to read and review.  Periodically I will do a book review for Multnomah Books.

Here's my review:

I admittedly went into reading this book cautiously because I wasn't familiar with the author and wasn't thrilled with some people who had endorsed this book.  However, the subject matter got my attention, "Torn – Trusting God When Life Leaves You in Pieces."  This is something I could relate to.  As I read this book, you see that the subject matter is primarily the sovereignty of God in suffering.  While the book starts with the "Why God?" question, it does a good job of getting us off the "why" question and onto "who" - who will you trust during trials and suffering?  Basically, he really never answered the "why question," but the way in which he didn't answer it is, in my opinion, the right way. I agree with him not getting caught up in the "why, why, why?" question and moving on to who are you going to trust through this trial?  I have seen many try to answer the "why question" and were unable to do so to my satisfaction or anyone else's.  It's the WRONG question to be asking!  The author then goes on to, "who are you going to trust" and "how are you going to trust him?" 

This book is pretty basic on the subject of suffering, but it does a good job overall.  I think this book would benefit many new Christians who think that now that they are following Jesus, they will never have another problem again – Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!  I am so appreciative of this subject being properly dealt with where anyone reading it can understand it. 

While this book uses a lot of scriptures (well over 100), most of them are not directly shown in the text or in a footnote.  So, I found myself turning to the notes in the back of the book constantly.  I much more prefer the text being right there in the chapter or at least footnoted on the bottom of the page.  Also, some of the passages need a little closer examination from the context of what was written. He also seems to try to sound "cool" by referencing secular material, movies, etc.  Being cool in my eyes or more importantly the Lord's this is not necessary, but it may go along with the fact that the author is pastor of a mega-church in Las Vegas - just my observation.

My overall rating for this book is so-so.  For the new believer or someone taught (erroneously) that we are not to suffer as Christians, I would give this 4-5 stars.  For anyone who has been in the Bible (rightly dividing the word of God) for any length of time, this book has little to offer. 

I have no doubt this book will minister to some, and to that end I pray the Lord uses it.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

NOTE: I have not stopped writing devotions on Galatians or other subjects.  It just takes time, so as we move in and then pass the holidays I hope to send out more devotions and spiritual nuggets of truth from the Bible and men of God.

In His Service,
Jim