Next Steps in Sharing Jesus

There's no doubt that as we pray according to God's will He hears and answers us!  So, as we are praying for God to mold our hearts to be more like His, it is happening.  For me (PC) it's been all about love.

The Apostle Paul said that he preached the gospel because the love of God "compelled" him.  "Compelled" means to be moved with powerful irresistible force.  It was not out of obligation, duty or guilt but because God's love had changed his heart toward the lost to the point of moving him with the irresistible power to share the Gospel message; truly love in action.
First Corinthians 13 tells us that without love our actions are without meaning.  I have been praying for His love for the lost to be such that it compels me to act/speak.  How about you?

Pastor Jeff gave us the next part of "Sharing Jesus Without Fear" in last week's message.  Once you've shared what you've learned about Jesus using your marked bible with the seven scriptures, there are five questions that you can use to follow up:

1. Are you a sinner?
2. Do you need forgiveness?
3. Do you believe Jesus died on a cross and rose again on the third day?
4. Are you willing to surrender your life to Jesus?
5. Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life and heart?

And it's just that easy!  Remember, it's not your job to make them accept Jesus - just to share Him.

No Fear!

Last week, Pastor Jeff continued his series on Sharing Jesus Without Fear.  He explained how to prepare your bible for opportunities the Lord will give you to share about the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.  If you missed the message and want to know more, click here March 16 message.

The seven scriptures that make sharing Jesus simple are:

1. Romans 3:23  (all have sinned)
2. Romans 6:23  (wages of sin is death)
3. John 3:3         (must be born again)
4. John 14:6       (Jesus is the way, the truth and the life)
5. Romans 10:9  (believe in heart and confess with mouth)
6. 2 Cor. 5:15    (Christ died that man may be saved)
7. Rev. 3:20       (Jesus stands at the door and knocks)

By preparing ourselves and our Bibles we are adding a step of faith to the fast. As we fast and ask God to make our hearts more like His
we will begin to see those He has prepared to hear His message of life.

Don't feel like you have to make anything happen.  This is God's gig - He's just looking for players.

Game on!

When You Fast...

When Jesus was teaching His disciples about prayer in Matthew chapter 6, He followed the passage we call "The Lord's Prayer" with this statement:  "Moreover, when you fast..." (v.16).  It was understood that prayer would be coupled with times of fasting in our lives and that there would be a "reward" that follows.  These verses don't say what the "reward" is, just that it will be given.  The promise of reward is one that can give us encouragement on those days when the fast is more challenging than others.

I read an article in the paper today about fasting during the season of Lent.  The point of the article was to find ways to eat and enjoy yourself (with some special foods) even when giving meat up for Lent.  I was a bit saddened by the tenor of the article because the author seemed to miss the point of fasting.

Fasting is a time to deny our flesh for the purpose of re-focusing our hearts and minds on the Lord - His sacrifice and His promise.  To indulge (or over indulge) our flesh in another area to make the fast more palatable is just a change of diet--not a spiritual journey/experience with the Lord.

Fasting is a battleground.  It is where we fight in the heavenly realm for the lost.  It is where we seek the Lord's intervention for our families, our healing, our need.  It is where we learn to persevere.  And, when the dust settles we see the victory.  It may be afar off, but it is assured.

So, if during your time of fasting things get difficult, don't be surprised; it is a battle after all.  Position yourself for victory and build your faith by more time in worship and prayer in the Spirit.  Then, "stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" (2 Chron. 20:17).

The First 40 Day Fast Begins!

Our first phase of Fasting 40 Days 4 Eternity begins today.  We will see eternity changed for people as they come to know Jesus as their Savior - and we get to be an active part of that process through the fast.

Isaiah 58 is all about the fast that God has chosen for us, His people.  Verse 6 tells us the goal of the fast:

                    To loose the bonds of wickedness,
                    To undo the heavy burdens,
                    To let the oppressed go free,
                   And that you break every yoke? 

We are praying for the Lord to put at least 5 people in our lives with whom we can share the good news of Jesus' love and His gift of salvation.  So that they can be released from the heavy burden of sin and be set free and made whole.  Whoo hoo!

This past weekend, Pastor Jeff shared with us a simple way to share Jesus with people when the Lord sends them to us.  There are 5 basic questions we can ask that are non-threatening and open the door for discussion.  They are from "Sharing Jesus Without Fear" (www.sharejesuswithoutfear.com).

5 Qualifying Questions:

1.  Do you have any type of spiritual belief?

2.  To you, who is Jesus?

3.  Do you believe in a heaven or a hell?  OR//If you died today, where would you end up?

4.  If what you believe were not true, would you want to know it?

5.  Can I show you what I have learned?

We trust that the Lord is going to open our hearts and eyes to the way He loves and sees people

Are you ready?

Be sure to post your testimonies, challenges and questions and let's keep each other encouraged!

A Call to Fast

What a truly exciting time in the life of our church family!  The Lord is breathing a fresh breath of His Spirit which brings new life, refreshed vision and renewed expectation of His work in us and through us.

The Apostle Paul was compelled by the Holy Spirit to testify that Jesus is the Christ (Acts chapter 18) and the result was that many were saved.  When the Holy Spirit compels us to action and we obey--things happen!

As a church family, we have been obedient to the things of the Lord and we have witnessed His mighty power and work among us.  And now, we're being invited to experience even more.  Pastor Jeff & many of our leadership are going before us in a 40 day fast, preparing the way in the Spirit for us as a church family to join together in a corporate 40 day fast that many, many more will be saved.

Why do we need to fast?
Fasting is God's way for us to become more sensitive to His leading and more concerned for others (see Is. 58:6-9).
The Lord is inviting us to come before Him in the fast that we will hear Him more clearly and, like the Apostle Paul, be compelled by the Holy Spirit to testify of Jesus.  We won't be able to help ourselves!

There are different types of fasts that you may choose to do. It may be:

• food (1-2 meals a day or a particular food)
• social media
• TV
• areas where our flesh has too large a place in our lives
• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you are to fast

There are three different durations for our corporate fast:

• The full 40 days   
• 10 day Daniel duration (Dan. 1:8-14)
• 21 day Daniel duration (Dan. 10:2-3)

There are 3 different starting points:

March 4 - April 12 - focus on inviting people to the "My Hope" project

April 14 - May 23 - focus on the Faith Kidz graduation

May 25 - July 4 - focus on our country & those in our sphere of influence

I encourage you to start asking the Lord how He might have you participate. Use this blog to share your journey with others and bring encouragement with your testimonies.  The story in Acts chapter 18 wasn't just about the salvations but about the opposition the messengers of the Gospel encountered.  As you engage in the fast, there will be opposition--the devil doesn't like this plan. So stay connected - get encouraged - give encouragement.